The expression "10^4" represents the mathematical operation of raising the number 10 to the power of 4. This means multiplying 10 by itself four times: 10 × 10 × 10 × 10. The result of this calculation is 10,000. This notation is part of a system called exponents, which is used to simplify the representation of large numbers. In practical terms, 10,000 can be seen in various contexts, such as in finance when discussing large sums of money or in science when measuring quantities like population sizes. Understanding exponents like 10^4 helps in grasping the scale of numbers in everyday life.