What is 2x^2 multiplied by the number 2x?

Question

I had this question on an algebra test and it confused me.

Answer 1

2x(2x^2) = 4x^3

Unless you really meant (2x^2) times 2x, then you'd get 4x^3 times 2x = 8x^3

but the way it's written, the exponent 2 only applies to x not to 2x, so 4x^3 is the answer

multiply variables like x by adding the exponents. x has an implicit exponent of 1

x^2 times x = x^(2+1) = x^3

multiply the constants, 2 times 2 = 4

multiply those results 4 times x^3 = 4x^3