How to use the Exponent Calculator
Enter a base and an exponent. Negative and decimal exponents work too, so you can calculate reciprocals and roots as powers.
How exponents work
An exponent says how many times to multiply the base by itself. 2 to the power 10 is 2 multiplied by itself ten times, which is 1,024. A negative exponent means one divided by the power, so 10 to the power −2 is 0.01. Any number to the power 0 is 1.
Fractional exponents and growth
A fractional exponent is a root: 8 to the power 1/3 is the cube root of 8, which is 2. Exponents also describe growth. Money growing 5% a year for 10 years ends up 1.05 to the power 10, about 1.63 times its starting value.
How it works
bⁿ
Examples
- 2 to the power of 10
2^10 = 1,024 Exact: 1,024
- 5 to the power of -2
5^-2 = 0.04
- 27 to the power of 1/3 (cube root)
27^0.33333333 = 3
Limitations and assumptions
Computed in your browser with standard double-precision arithmetic unless the page says otherwise. Very large or very small values may be rounded.
Frequently asked questions
What does an exponent mean?
It says how many times to multiply the base by itself: 2^10 = 2 × 2 × ... ten times = 1,024.
What is a negative exponent?
The reciprocal of the positive power: 5^-2 = 1/25 = 0.04.
What is anything to the power of 0?
Any non-zero number to the power of 0 is 1.
How do I find a root?
Use a fractional exponent: a cube root is a power of 1/3.