When any number or variable is raised to the power of 1, the result is always the number or variable itself. This is a fundamental property of exponents in mathematics.
For example:
- 51 = 5
- (-3)1 = -3
- x1 = x
This rule holds true for all real numbers, whether they’re positive, negative, or zero. The reason behind this is that taking something to the power of 1 means you’re just taking one instance of that number, hence it remains unchanged.