Exponent Calculator (Power Calculator)
Enter a base and an exponent to calculate base to the power of exponent.
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Formula
result = base ^ exponent. For a whole positive exponent n, multiply the base by itself n times. A negative exponent means 1 ÷ base^|exponent|, and base^0 = 1.
Worked example
2 to the power of 10: 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 1024. And 2 to the power of -2 = 1 ÷ 4 = 0.25.
Frequently asked questions
What does an exponent mean?
An exponent says how many times to multiply the base by itself. 2 to the power of 10 is 2 multiplied by itself ten times, which is 1024.
What is a negative exponent?
A negative exponent means one divided by the positive power. 2 to the power of -2 is 1 ÷ 2² = 1 ÷ 4 = 0.25.
What is a fractional exponent?
An exponent of 1/2 is a square root and 1/3 a cube root. For example 9 to the power of 0.5 is the square root of 9, which is 3.
Why do I get an error for some inputs?
Zero to a negative power would divide by zero, a negative base with a fractional exponent has no real answer, and results too large to represent are out of range, such as 10 to the power of 400.