i need help on my math homework

How are you using the symbol ^ ?

simply the following
(5f^3 t^7)^3 (d^4 f^2)^5

First do the outside exponents one at a time:
(5f^3 t^7)^3 = (125f^9 t^21) - multiple the exponents when you are raising a power to a power and apply the outside exponent to the constant as well.

5^3 = 125
(f^3)^3 = f^9
(t^7)^3 = t^21

(d^4 f^2)^5 = (d^20 f^10)

resulting in
(125f^9 t^21) (d^20 f^10)=

125f^9 t^21 d^20 f^10

collect like terms (only f in this case) by multiplying the constants and adding the exponents. f^10 is the same as 1f^10

1f^10 times 125f^9 = 125f^19

There are no other terms that can be combined. So the final answer is 125f^19 t^21 d^20 (in any order)

I assume it's to indicate an exponent

It looks ambiguous to me.

Standard notation for exponent where superscript is unavailable. At least, I've seen it that way in some calculators, and that's how you enter an exponent in spreadsheets.

I'm constantly confronted with questions like this in real life, especially when I'm doing my taxes. My accountant tells me to take pie squared multiplied by the intergers of 3 and divide by six to find the remaining integer which should result in an approximation of taxes owed. But the government always tells me I made a mistake.

That's because your accountant is on acid and the IRS is smoking crack. There's just no synergy.

i like my pie round