Student B is correct.
To find the total number of nuts the squirrel collected, we need to multiply the number of nuts collected per hour (12) by the number of hours per day (12), and then multiply that by the number of days (12).
Student A's answer, 12^3, means 12 raised to the power of 3. In this case, it represents 12 x 12 x 12, which is the same as Student B's answer. So Student A is correct as well, but their representation is using exponents.
However, Student A's second answer, 12x3, is incorrect. This expression implies that we should multiply 12 by 3, which results in 36. This answer does not take into account the number of hours and days the squirrel collected nuts.
Therefore, Student B is correct because they correctly multiplied the number of nuts collected per hour, per day, and the number of days.
A class is given this question on a test about exponents: A squirrel collect 12 nuts an hour for 12 hours on 12 days. Write an expression with and without exponents to find how many nuts the squirrel collected. Two students provided these answers. Student A 12^3 12x3 36 nuts Student B 12^3 12x12x12 1,728 nuts Which student is correct? Explain what the incorrect student did incorrectly.
1 answer