When we talk about exponents in mathematics, we are looking at how many times a base number is multiplied by itself. In this case, the base number is 3, and it is raised to the power of 1.
Raising a number to the power of 1 means that you are essentially taking that number just once, without any multiplication. Thus, 3 to the power of 1 is simply:
31 = 3
In summary, when you raise 3 to the power of 1, you end up with the same number, which is 3. This is a fundamental rule of exponents, and it applies to all numbers. So, the answer is:
3