\( \begin{array}{r} 9 \\ 9 \\ \times 3 \\ \times 3 \\ \times 3 \\ \times 4 \\ \times 4 \\ \times 2 \\ \times 8 \\ \hline \end{array} \)

Did you know that the numbers being multiplied together here could represent a fascinating world of exponential growth? Each subsequent multiplication increases the product significantly. In fact, if you were to calculate this step-by-step, you'd find that multiplying by 3 several times could grow an initial small number (like 9) into a much larger number, showing the power of repeated multiplication! Now, let's take a moment to think about real-world applications. This kind of multiplication could model various scenarios, like calculating the total number of items produced in a factory over several hours, where each hour the production triples, and then fluctuates with different amounts. It’s a great way to illustrate how small changes in rate can result in huge differences over time!