Question

Suppose the man in the St. Ives poem has x wives, each wife has x sacks, each sack has x cats, and each cat has x kits. Write an expression using exponents that represents the total number of kits, cats, sacks, and wives going to St. Ives.

Answer 1

Answer: $x+x^2+x^3+x^4$

Step-by-step explanation:

As per given,

Number of wives = $x$

Number of sacks = $x (\text{Number of wives} )= x\times x = x^2$

Number of cats = $x(\text{Number of sack})$$= x \times x^2=x^3$

Number of kits = $x(\text{Number of cats} )=x\times x^3=x^4$

Now , the total number of kits, cats, sacks, and wives going to St. Ives = $x+x^2+x^3+x^4$

Hence, the required ex[pression:  $x+x^2+x^3+x^4$