To simplify the expression \( 16^{\frac{1}{4}} \), it is helpful to express 16 in a way that makes it easier to work with its base factors.
The best factorization among the options provided is:
16 = 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2 (which can also be written as \( 16 = 2^4 \))
Using this factorization, we can rewrite \( 16^{\frac{1}{4}} \):
\[ 16^{\frac{1}{4}} = (2^4)^{\frac{1}{4}} = 2^{4 \cdot \frac{1}{4}} = 2^1 = 2 \]
Thus, the correct response for simplifying the expression would be:
16 = 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2 (16 equals 2 times 2 times 2 times 2).