Answer:
Joe is correct
Step-by-step explanation:
Given equation:

The exponent outside the bracket is a question mark and the students are trying to determine the value of the question mark.
For ease of answering, let y be the unknown number (question mark):

First, simplify the equation by applying exponent rules to either side of the equation:







Now, apply the exponent rule:

Therefore,

Finally, solve for y:



Therefore, <u>Joe is correct</u> as the unknown number is 6.