To raise a variable [tex]\( a \)[/tex] to the 7th power, we follow the rules of exponents. Let's go through it step-by-step:
1. Identify the base and the exponent:
- Here, the base is [tex]\( a \)[/tex], and the exponent is 7.
2. Multiply the base by itself the number of times indicated by the exponent:
- In this case, [tex]\( a \)[/tex] should be multiplied by itself 7 times.
3. Write out the multiplication explicitly for understanding:
- [tex]\( a^7 = a \times a \times a \times a \times a \times a \times a \)[/tex]
4. Generalize the multiplication:
- Instead of multiplying each instance individually, we recognize that multiplying [tex]\( a \)[/tex] by itself 7 times can be succinctly written as [tex]\( a^7 \)[/tex].
Therefore, the expression [tex]\( a^7 \)[/tex] simply remains as [tex]\( a^7 \)[/tex].
So, the final answer is:
[tex]\[ a^7 \][/tex]