Question Represent the following sentence as an algebraic expression, where "a number" is the letter x . \[ \text { A number raised to the second power. } \] Answer Attempt 1 out of 2

When we say "a number raised to the second power," we are talking about multiplying that number by itself. In algebra, we represent the number as the variable \( x \). Therefore, the expression can be written as \( x^2 \). It's like saying, "Let's take our mystery number \( x \) and see what happens when we square it!" This concept has roots tracing back to ancient civilizations, where mathematicians started exploring areas such as geometry and the relationships between numbers. Squaring numbers was essential in many geometric calculations, and little did they know, they were setting the stage for advanced algebraic expressions we use today!