How do you calculate the fifth power of 3?

To calculate the fifth power of 3, you multiply 3 by itself five times, resulting in 243.

In more detail, raising a number to a power means multiplying that number by itself a certain number of times. The fifth power of 3 is written as \(3^5\). This notation means you need to multiply 3 by itself five times. So, you perform the following calculation:

\[3 \times 3 \times 3 \times 3 \times 3\]

First, multiply the first two 3s:

\[3 \times 3 = 9\]

Next, multiply the result by the next 3:

\[9 \times 3 = 27\]

Then, multiply that result by another 3:

\[27 \times 3 = 81\]

Finally, multiply that result by the last 3:

\[81 \times 3 = 243\]

So, \(3^5 = 243\). This method of breaking down the calculation step-by-step can help you understand the process of exponentiation, which is a fundamental concept in mathematics. Remember, the exponent tells you how many times to use the base (in this case, 3) as a factor in the multiplication.