Simplify the Expression: 20^6 × 20^2 × 20^4 Using Exponent Rules

When you multiply powers with the same base, you're essentially combining all the factors. $20^6 \times 20^2$ means (20×20×20×20×20×20) × (20×20), which gives you 8 factors of 20 total, so $20^8$.

You cannot combine them using exponent rules! Different bases mean you must calculate each power separately first, then multiply: $20^3 × 30^2 = 8000 × 900 = 7,200,000$.

Add when multiplying powers: $a^m \times a^n = a^{m+n}$
Multiply when raising a power to a power: $(a^m)^n = a^{m \times n}$

You could, but the numbers would be enormous! $20^6 = 64,000,000$ alone. Using exponent rules keeps everything manageable and gives you $20^{12}$ as the simplified form.

Looking at the choices, both Choice A ($20^{6+2+4}$) and Choice C ($20^{12}$) are mathematically equivalent - one shows the addition step, the other shows the final result.