Exponent Calculator
Raise any base to any power, including negative and fractional exponents, with the answer in plain and scientific notation.
How it works
aᵇ = a × a × … × a (b times) · a⁻ᵇ = 1 ÷ aᵇ · a^(1/n) = ⁿ√a
A whole-number exponent counts repeated multiplication. Negative exponents flip the result into a reciprocal, and fractional exponents are roots — a^(1/2) is the square root. Any nonzero base to the power 0 is 1, because each step down in the exponent divides by the base once more.
Worked example
2^10 = 2 × 2 × … × 2 (ten times) = 1,024, which is 1.024 × 10³. And 2^−3 = 1 ÷ 2³ = 1 ÷ 8 = 0.125.
Frequently asked questions
Why does anything to the power zero equal 1?
Follow the pattern downward: 2³ = 8, 2² = 4, 2¹ = 2 — each step divides by 2, so 2⁰ must be 1. (0⁰ is a special case that most calculators, including this one, treat as 1.)
What’s the largest result this can show?
About 1.8 × 10³⁰⁸, the ceiling of double-precision floating point. Anything past that overflows, which is why 10^309 returns an error here.
How do fractional exponents work?
The denominator takes a root and the numerator raises the power: 8^(2/3) means cube root of 8 (which is 2), then squared, giving 4.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.