Final answer:
An exponent tells the number of times the base is used as a factor in multiplication.
Step-by-step explanation:
In mathematics, an exponent tells the number of times the base is used as a factor in a multiplication. It is written as a smaller number to the top right of the base number. For instance, if we have 34, the base is 3 and the exponent is 4, and this represents that 3 is multiplied by itself 4 times (3 x 3 x 3 x 3).
An exponent is also known as a power and the operation is termed as 'raising a number to a power'. This operation is fundamental in algebra and is used frequently in different areas of mathematics, including geometry and calculus.
Exponentiation has several properties that make calculations easier, such as the product of powers rule, which states that to multiply two powers with the same base, you can add the exponents (e.g., am x an = am+n). These rules help simplify expressions and solve algebraic problems efficiently.