Exponent Calculator

What an Exponent Means

An exponent is a shorthand for repeated multiplication. Writing $2^{10}$ means “multiply 2 by itself 10 times,” which comes to 1,024. The big number on the bottom is the base (what you multiply), and the small raised number is the exponent or power (how many times).

That one idea stretches in two useful directions. A negative exponent means divide instead of multiply, so $2^{-3} = \tfrac{1}{2^3} = \tfrac{1}{8}$. A fractional exponent is a root: a power of $\tfrac{1}{2}$ is the square root, and a power of $\tfrac{1}{3}$ is the cube root. This calculator handles all three.

How to Use It

1. Enter the base (the number being multiplied).
2. Enter the exponent (the power to raise it to).
3. Read the result and what the power means.

The Rules It Uses

Exponent	Meaning	Example
Positive whole	Multiply the base that many times	$3^4 = 81$
Zero	Any nonzero base to the 0 is 1	$7^0 = 1$
Negative	One over the positive power	$2^{-3} = \tfrac{1}{8}$
Fraction	A root of the base	$9^{0.5} = 3$

Worked Example

$2^{10}$ is 2 multiplied by itself ten times: $2 \times 2 \times 2 \times 2 \times 2 \times 2 \times 2 \times 2 \times 2 \times 2 = 1{,}024$.

A Note on Negative Bases

A negative base works fine with a whole-number exponent - $(-3)^2 = 9$ and $(-3)^3 = -27$. But a negative base with a fractional power (like a square root of a negative number) has no real answer, so the tool reports that instead of a wrong number.