Question

27(1.2)^4 what is the correct interpretation of the second factor

Answer 1

The expression is probabily more clear if written as

$27 \times 1.2^4$

The second factor, $1.2^4$, is a power, which is a short way of writing multiplication of a number times itself: the exponent tells you how many times you have to multiply the base by itself:

$1.2^4 = 1.2\cdot 1.2\cdot 1.2\cdot 1.2$