Any number above 1 gets greater, below 1 smaller (when above 0), while 1 itself remains the same. Negative numbers are more unpredictable.
Because whole numbers are greater than 1 and any number greater than 1 multiplied by it self several times result in a greater number, but proper fractions are numbers less than 1, and a number less than 1 multiplied by it self several times result if a smaller number. ;
Whole numbers greater than 1 get larger when raised to an exponent because they are multiplied by themselves. Conversely, fractions that are less than 1 get smaller when raised to an exponent since multiplying a number less than 1 by itself decreases its value. Thus, the effect of exponents depends on whether the base number is a whole number greater than 1 or a proper fraction less than 1.
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