Which of the following is an example of exponentiation?

Exponentiation is a mathematical operation that involves raising a base number to the power of an exponent. In the given example, "2² = 2 × 2," the number 2 is the base, while the exponent 2 indicates that the base should be multiplied by itself two times. This clearly illustrates the concept of exponentiation, as the expression is defined precisely by the operation of raising to a power.

The other options do not contain any exponentiation. For instance, the first option presents a simple arithmetic addition, while the third shows subtraction, and the fourth exemplifies multiplication. None of these operations involve raising a number to a power, which is the defining characteristic of exponentiation. Therefore, "2² = 2 × 2" accurately captures the essence of this mathematical concept.