if you time 33 by 32 how many powers of 3 are there?

can anyone explain this?

one

33 = 3×11
32 = 2x2x2x2x2
33×32 = 3x11x2x2x2x2x2

power of 3 = 1
power of 11 = 1
power of 2 = 5

here you go

http://tinyurl.com/2wxxgmw

one

33 = 3×11
32 = 2x2x2x2x2
33×32 = 3x11x2x2x2x2x2

power of 3 = 1
power of 11 = 1
power of 2 = 5

ahh shucks.

simple logarithms here

33*32=3^n
log(33*32)=log(3^n)
Log(33*32)=n*log(3)

n= log(33*32)/log(3) = 6.337..

sorted!

n= log(33*32)/log(3) = 6.337..

forgive me, but doesn't "how many powers of 3 are there?" imply an integer power and hence the factorisation? Had the question been "to what power would 3 need to be raised to equal this ?" the fractional power would be the right answer. To me, "many" implies a discrete number, and "much" an amount possibly including a fractional part.

Well if the question itself was open to interpretation it was a bad question. I'm sure the OP will be able to tell which of our answers is the one they need, we did both show working 😛

Well if the question itself was open to interpretation it was a bad question

question: write a question incapable of misinterpretation

I've got one, but it's got a naughty word in it.

Isn't that just being a little pedantic? I only offered a possible solution 🙄

Isn't that just being a little pedantic?

hmmm, surely when it comes to maths there are only right and wrong answers and a pedantic attention to detail is the default ?

True enough, however I was pointing out with that comment that you were being pedantic over the semantics of the question, not the maths involved.

But this argument is a little redundant until the OP replies anyway..

you were being pedantic over the semantics of the question, not the maths involved.

can they be separated ? The question isn't mathematical but the answer is ? In my opinion, you answered a different question.