Help using the scientific calculator downloaded from the clep site

[bluebooger]

8^(3+6x) = 4

the key here is to recognize that
8 and 4 are both powers of 2

now go here
https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/exponent-laws.html

scroll down to the section named
------
Laws of Exponents
Here are the Laws (explanations follow):
-----

now study the chart

see the row that says
(x^m)^n = x^mn

so
8^(3+6x) = 4
is the same as
(2^(3))^(3+6x) = 2^2

yes, that line is confusing
so look at it again

because now we're going to use the law we just learned and rewrite that line so it becomes
2^(3*(3+6x)) = 2^2

now the bases are the same
so it's basically
2^something = 2^of something else
so
something = something else

so
(3*(3+6x)) = 2
so
9 + 18x = 2
18x = -7
x = -7/18
x = -0.389

but the entire point of this problem is is to recognize that
8 and 4 are both powers of 2
and to know that law of exponents