What is 17x^2 aka 17x squared

I'm a little confused on how to solve a number 17x2 or 17x^2 (17x squared)

Lets say x = 5

17 * ( 5 * 5) = 425

And that's how you solve it :-)

17x^2 is not (17x)^2 the parentheses make all the difference in the world

17x^2 = 17 * x * x

(17x)^2 = 17 * 17 * x * x = 289x^2