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Concept

Multiplying Monomials

Because a monomial is an algebraic expression, the standard properties of exponents and multiplication can be applied to find the product of two or more monomials. The procedure involves three steps:

  1. Rearrange using the Commutative Property of Multiplication. Reorder the factors so that the numerical coefficients are grouped together and the powers of each variable base are placed side by side.
  2. Multiply the numerical coefficients. Apply the rules for multiplying signed numbers (or fractions) to the grouped coefficients.
  3. Apply the Product Property for Exponents to each variable base. For each variable, add its exponents across all the factors being multiplied.

When a monomial involves more than one variable, the Product Property is applied independently to each variable base. This procedure works the same way regardless of whether the coefficients are integers or fractions.

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Updated 2026-04-29

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