Question

Find the exponent In \[{10^2}\].
A) 2
B) 1
C) 10
D) 100

Answer 1

Hint: An exponent states that, how many times to use the number in multiplication, exponents are also known as power or indices.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Let us take \[{a^n}\] as an expression to understand the concept of exponent.
\[{a^n}\] indicates that \[a\] is multiplied \[n\] times, which can be written as,
\[{a^n} = \underbrace {a \cdot a \cdot a \cdot a \cdots a}_{n{\text{ times}}}\]
According to the definition of exponent, an exponent is that number or value, which represents the power to which a number is to be raised.
Also the exponent of a number says how many times to use that number in multiplication.
In \[{a^n}\], power is \[n\], so the exponent of \[a\] is \[n\]. And $a$ is the base here.
Let us briefly study the combination of base and exponent that is; Base number tells that which number is to be multiplied and exponent says how many times the number is to be multiplied.
Similarly, we can write the given expression \[{10^2}\] as \[{10^2} = \underbrace {10 \cdot 10}_{2{\text{ times}}}\].
In \[{10^2}\], power is 2, so exponent of 10 is 2.
Hence, the correct option is A which is 2.

Note: We only have to identify the exponent, for which we do not need to expend it or simplify it, if any one will simplify it we can get the answer as a wrong option, a struggling student may try to simplify \[{10^2}\], which gives 100, for which option will be D, which is an incorrect option and therefore we will go by the concept of exponent as we have mentioned above.