Exponents & Powers Calculator

An exponent tells you how many times to multiply a number by itself. This exponent calculator works out powers exactly, including very large results, negative exponents, which give fractions, and fractional exponents, which are roots. Each answer shows the exponent rule used and is checked by reversing the calculation.

Try:

How to use the exponents & powers calculator

  1. Enter the base, such as 2 or 2/3.
  2. Enter the exponent, such as 10, −2 or 0.5.
  3. Press Calculate to see the exact value and the rule used.

Formula

an=a×a×⋯×aa^n = a \times a \times \cdots \times a
a−n=1ana^{-n} = \frac{1}{a^n}
am/n=(an)ma^{m/n} = \left(\sqrt[n]{a}\right)^m

Worked example: 2¹⁰

  • Base: 2
  • Exponent: 10

✓ Answer checked

10241024
Step-by-step working (1 step)

  1. Repeated multiplication aⁿ = a × a × … × a

    Multiply 2 by itself 10 times.

    210=10242^{10} = 1024
Formulas used
an=a×a×⋯×aa^n = a \times a \times \cdots \times a
a−n=1ana^{-n} = \frac{1}{a^n}
a0=1a^0 = 1
How this was checked
  • ✓ Dividing the answer by the base n−1 times gives back the base.

Frequently asked questions

What does a negative exponent mean?

It means one over the positive power. For example, 5⁻² = 1/5² = 1/25.

What is any number to the power 0?

Any non-zero number to the power 0 is 1.

What does an exponent of 0.5 mean?

An exponent of ½ means a square root. For example, 16^0.5 = √16 = 4.

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