An exponent tells you how many times to multiply the base by itself. In 2 to the power of 3, the base is 2 and the exponent is 3, so it is 2 times 2 times 2, which is 8.

What does a negative exponent mean?

A negative exponent means one divided by the base raised to the positive power. So 2 to the power of minus 3 is 1 divided by 8, which is 0.125. The calculator handles negative exponents.

What is a number to the power of zero?

Any non zero number to the power of zero is 1. This keeps the rules of exponents consistent. The calculator returns 1 for any base raised to zero.

Exponent Calculator

This calculator raises any base number to an exponent, also called a power, giving you the result instantly as you type. Exponents show up throughout maths, science and finance, from compound growth to scientific notation, so being able to check a power quickly is useful for homework, checking a formula, or verifying a calculation. Enter your base number and your exponent, and the calculator multiplies the base by itself that many times, returning the result along with a label showing exactly what was worked out, such as base to the power of exponent. It handles whole number exponents like 2 to the power of 10, negative exponents like 5 to the power of minus 2, which flips the result to one over the positive power, and fractional exponents like 9 to the power of 0.5, which is the same as a square root. If your inputs would produce a result that is not a real number, such as a negative base raised to a fractional exponent, the calculator tells you so rather than showing a meaningless figure. There is no limit on your base and exponent size, and the result updates live as you adjust either field. Use it alongside the worked examples below, or pair it with the square root and logarithm calculators to work backwards from a result to find the base or exponent.

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Base

Exponent (power)

result

How it works

The exponent is how many times the base is multiplied by itself. A negative exponent flips it to one over the power, and a fractional exponent is a root, so a power of 0.5 is a square root. The calculator applies the standard power rule.

Worked example

2 to the power of 10 is 1,024. 5 to the power of minus 2 is 1 divided by 25, which is 0.04. And 9 to the power of 0.5 is the square root of 9, which is 3.

Related calculators

Square Root Calculator: roots of a number.
Logarithm Calculator: the reverse of powers.
Scientific Calculator: advanced functions.
Factorial Calculator: n factorial.

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