Definition
Base of a power
The base of a power is the number or expression that the exponent acts on.
What it means
The exponent tells how many copies of the base are multiplied. Read the full base before expanding the power. Parentheses can make an entire negative number or expression the base.
Remember it
The base is what gets copied into the multiplication line.
Example
In (−3)⁴, the base is −3 and the exponent is 4. Expanding gives (−3) × (−3) × (−3) × (−3) = 81.
Watch for
In −3², the power is 3² and the minus sign is outside it. In (−3)², the base is −3 because the parentheses include the sign.
Common mix-up
The base is not the small raised number; that small number is the exponent.
Exact meaning
In an exponential expression aⁿ, a is the base. When n is a positive whole number, the base is the factor used n times.