What operation are students taught to repeat to evaluate an expression involving an exponent?

When evaluating an expression involving an exponent, students learn that the exponent denotes how many times the base number should be multiplied by itself. For example, in the expression (2^3), the base is 2 and the exponent is 3, which means that 2 must be multiplied by itself a total of three times: (2 \times 2 \times 2).

This fundamental understanding allows students to efficiently compute powers and engage with larger expressions that include exponents. Recognizing multiplication as the core operation involved in evaluating exponents is key to mastering this concept in mathematics. Consequently, being able to repeatedly apply multiplication based on the exponent can simplify calculations and deepen comprehension of mathematical principles related to powers and powers of numbers.