FTCE General Knowledge Math Practice Test

What is the term for a shorthand way of expressing repeated multiplication?

1. Factorial form

2. Exponent form

3. Scientific notation

4. Radical form

The correct answer is: Exponent form

The term for a shorthand way of expressing repeated multiplication is exponent form. In mathematics, exponentiation refers to the operation of raising a number (the base) to a power, which indicates how many times the base is multiplied by itself. For example, \(3^4\) means that 3 is multiplied by itself four times: \(3 \times 3 \times 3 \times 3\). This is a concise way to represent what would otherwise be a lengthy multiplication expression. The other options represent different mathematical concepts. Factorial form relates to the product of an integer and all the integers below it, scientific notation is used for expressing very large or very small numbers in a compact form, and radical form deals with roots, such as square roots or cube roots. These do not describe the concept of repeated multiplication as effectively as exponent form does.