What is meant by 3p to the third power?

'3p to the third power' means to multiply itself three times: (3p) (3p) (3p) or commonly expressed as 3p³. Or you can also express it as 3p^3. The '^' means sometimes as 'to the x power'. It's pronounced as caret.

3p cubed so written as 3p a little 3 next to the p