what is the answer to (x5)4 if 4 and 5 are exponents

Answer 1

The rule is: when you raise an exponent to an exponent, you multiply the two exponents:

(x⁵)⁴ = x^5·4 = x²⁰

For an easy summary of the rules of exponents, check out the following Wyzant file:

https://www.wyzant.com/resources/files/306702/exponent_rules

Answer 2

THE EXPLANATION

How exponents work:

We know that 2⁴ means we need to multiply 2 by itself 4 times ... 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2.

Since ... 2⁴ = 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2

Then ... (x⁵)⁴ = (x⁵) ⋅ (x⁵) ⋅ (x⁵) ⋅ (x⁵)

Now what do we do from here?

Since ... (x⁵) = x ⋅ x ⋅ x ⋅ x ⋅ x

Then ... (x⁵)⁴ = the above 5 x's ... but 4 sets of those ...

Then ... (x⁵)⁴ = (x ⋅ x ⋅ x ⋅ x ⋅ x) ⋅ (x ⋅ x ⋅ x ⋅ x ⋅ x) ⋅(x ⋅ x ⋅ x ⋅ x ⋅ x) ⋅(x ⋅ x ⋅ x ⋅ x ⋅ x)

That is a total of how many x's? 20

Then ... (x⁵)⁴ = x²⁰

THE SHORTCUT

The Power Rule of Exponents:

(x^m)ⁿ = x^{m times n}

Let us check this:

(x⁵)⁴ = x^{5 times 4} = x^20⋅

THE ANSWER

(x⁵)⁴ = x²⁰