Exponent Calculator
Enter a base and an exponent to compute the base raised to that power. Negative and fractional exponents work too, and very large or small results are shown in scientific notation.
How to calculate an exponent
- Enter the base, the number being multiplied by itself.
- Enter the exponent, the power to raise the base to.
- Read the result, shown as a decimal and in scientific notation.
Examples
Two to the tenth
base = 2, exponent = 10
1024
A fractional exponent (square root)
base = 9, exponent = 0.5
3
Frequently asked questions
What does an exponent mean?
An exponent tells you how many times to multiply the base by itself. So 2 to the power 3 means 2 times 2 times 2, which is 8. The base is the number being multiplied and the exponent is the small number written above it.
What does a negative exponent do?
A negative exponent is the reciprocal of the positive power, so x to the power minus n equals 1 divided by x to the power n. For example 10 to the power minus 3 is 1 divided by 1000, which is 0.001.
What does a fractional exponent mean?
A fractional exponent is a root. Raising to the power one half is the square root, one third is the cube root, and so on. So 9 to the power 0.5 is the square root of 9, which is 3.
Why does a negative base sometimes give no answer?
A negative base raised to a non-integer exponent, such as minus 8 to the power one third, has no value among the real numbers because it would require an even root of a negative number. Such cases are flagged as undefined for real numbers; they only have complex solutions.
Why is the result shown in scientific notation?
Very large or very small numbers are written in scientific notation, like 1.5e+8, so they stay readable instead of filling the screen with digits. The plain decimal value is shown too whenever it is a reasonable length.
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