Enter a base and an exponent to raise the base to that power.
What exponents represent
An exponent is repeated multiplication. Two raised to the tenth power means two multiplied by itself ten times, which equals 1024. Exponents grow results quickly, which is why they describe compound growth, computer memory, and scientific scales.
The idea extends beyond whole numbers. A negative exponent flips the base into a reciprocal, so a base raised to minus one is one over the base. A fractional exponent is a root, so a base to the power of one half is its square root, which links exponents directly to the root calculator.
The formula
Worked example
2 raised to the 10th power is 2^10 = 1024.
How to read your result
A negative exponent gives a reciprocal, so 2 to the power of minus 1 is one half. A fractional exponent is a root, so a number to the power of one half is its square root.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a negative exponent mean?
- It is one divided by the base raised to the positive exponent.
- What is anything to the power of zero?
- Any nonzero number to the power zero equals 1.
- Can the exponent be a decimal?
- Yes, a fractional exponent represents a root of the base.
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