Exponent Calculator
Raise any number to any power — whole, negative or fractional exponents all work.
How to use the Exponent Calculator
- Enter the base number.
- Enter the exponent (power) — it can be negative or a decimal.
- See the result plus handy related values.
bⁿ = b × b × … × b (n times). b⁻ⁿ = 1 ÷ bⁿ. b^(1/2) = √b
About the Exponent Calculator
An exponent tells you how many times to multiply a number (the base) by itself. So 2⁵ means 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 32. This calculator handles any base and any exponent, including negative powers (which give reciprocals) and fractional powers (which give roots).
Exponents are everywhere: compound interest, area and volume, computer storage (powers of 2), scientific notation and growth models all rely on them. Very large or very small results are shown in scientific notation so they stay readable.
The extra rows show the base squared, its square root and the reciprocal of the result, giving you a few useful related figures in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What does a negative exponent mean?
A negative exponent is one over the positive power: b⁻ⁿ = 1 ÷ bⁿ. For example, 2⁻³ = 1 ÷ 8 = 0.125.
What about a fractional exponent?
A fractional exponent is a root: b^(1/2) is the square root of b, and b^(1/3) is the cube root. Enter decimals like 0.5 as the exponent.
What is anything to the power of 0?
Any non-zero number raised to the power 0 equals 1. Zero to the power of zero is usually treated as 1 by convention.