At Westonci.ca, we connect you with the best answers from a community of experienced and knowledgeable individuals. Join our Q&A platform and connect with professionals ready to provide precise answers to your questions in various areas. Experience the convenience of finding accurate answers to your questions from knowledgeable experts on our platform.

Charlie does the following problem:
[tex]\[
3^3 \cdot 3^2 = 3^5 = 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 = 243.
\][/tex]

Which of the following is a true statement?

A. He is incorrect because he should have 3 factors of 6.
B. He is correct.
C. He is incorrect because he should have 6 factors of 9.
D. He is incorrect because he should have only 5 factors of 3.


Sagot :

Let's carefully analyze the problem step-by-step to determine if Charlie's work is correct and which of the given statements is true.

1. Understanding the problem:
- We need to verify Charlie's calculation for [tex]\( 3^3 \cdot 3^2 \)[/tex].

2. Applying the rules of exponents:
- We know that when multiplying powers with the same base, we add the exponents. Specifically, [tex]\( a^m \cdot a^n = a^{m+n} \)[/tex]. Here, the base [tex]\( a \)[/tex] is 3, [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is 3, and [tex]\( n \)[/tex] is 2.

3. Performing the exponent addition:
- According to the rule above:
[tex]\[ 3^3 \cdot 3^2 = 3^{3+2} \][/tex]
- Simplifying the exponents:
[tex]\[ 3^{3+2} = 3^5 \][/tex]

4. Calculating the actual value:
- We calculate [tex]\( 3^5 \)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ 3^5 = 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 = 243 \][/tex]

5. Evaluating Charlie's steps:
- Charlie states:
[tex]\[ 3^3 \cdot 3^2 = 3^6 \][/tex]
- But we know from the correct calculation that it should be [tex]\( 3^5 \)[/tex], not [tex]\( 3^6 \)[/tex].

6. Calculating Charlie's result:
- Charlie incorrectly calculated:
[tex]\[ 3^6 = 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 = 729 \][/tex]
- This is incorrect because the exponent should have been 5, not 6.

7. Assessing the given statements:
- Let's review each statement:
- Statement 1: "He is incorrect because he should have 3 factors of 6." This statement is not relevant to the scenario.
- Statement 2: "He is correct." This statement is false because Charlie's calculation of [tex]\( 3^6 \)[/tex] is incorrect.
- Statement 3: "He is incorrect because he should have 6 factors of 9." This statement is neither correct nor relevant.
- Statement 4: "He is incorrect because he should have only 5 factors of 3." This statement is true. Correctly, [tex]\( 3^3 \cdot 3^2 \)[/tex] simplifies to [tex]\( 3^5 \)[/tex], which means there should be 5 factors of 3.

Thus, the correct statement is:

"He is incorrect because he should have only 5 factors of 3."
We hope you found this helpful. Feel free to come back anytime for more accurate answers and updated information. We appreciate your time. Please come back anytime for the latest information and answers to your questions. We're dedicated to helping you find the answers you need at Westonci.ca. Don't hesitate to return for more.