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Addition and Subtraction of Powers

Addition and subtraction of powers follows the same rules as algebraic expressions: ab + ab = 2ab. This is also the same if the power consists of numbers instead of variables.

Example 1

Calculate 32 + 32

You use what you have learned in algebra and get

32 + 32 = 2 × 32,

which is not the same as 62 = 6 × 6 = 36, but

2 × 32 3×3 = 2 × 9 = 18.

Subtraction is the same:

b2 b2 = 0 b2 b2 = 2b2