Break Down the Expression: Simplifying 4a²

Breaking down means writing the expression as a product of its simplest factors. Instead of using shortcuts like exponents, you show every multiplication explicitly.

That's not fully broken down! You still have the exponent $a^2$. To break it down completely, expand $a^2$ into $a \cdot a$.

Same rule applies! $4a^3$ would become $4 \cdot a \cdot a \cdot a$. The exponent tells you how many times to write the variable as a factor.

No! $4 \cdot a \cdot a$, $a \cdot 4 \cdot a$, and $a \cdot a \cdot 4$ are all equivalent. Multiplication is commutative, meaning you can rearrange factors.

Think of it as 'a squared' = a × a. The little 2 tells you to use 'a' as a factor exactly 2 times in your multiplication.