What are powers or exponents? Using powers is a shorthand way of writing repeated multiplication using the same number. For example, rather than writing 4 x 4 x 4 it can be simplified to 4³. This is read as 'four to the power of three'. This sort of notation is used when finding the area of a square or the volume of a cube. It can also be used to describe other calculations using repeated multiplication. Examples 2×2×2=2 ³ Test yourself; 4×4×4×4=? show the answer