How it works
An exponent says how many times to multiply the base by itself: 210 = 2 × 2 × … × 2 (ten times) = 1,024.
Negative exponents mean reciprocals (2−3 = 1/8) and fractional exponents mean roots (81/3 = 2, the cube root of 8). Any non-zero number to the power 0 is 1.
For whole-number bases and exponents with large results, the exact integer is shown alongside the scientific-notation approximation.
Formula
b^n = b × b × … × b (n times); b^−n = 1 ÷ b^n; b^(p/q) = q-th root of b^p
Questions people ask
Why is any number to the power of zero equal to 1?
Because b^n ÷ b^n = b^(n−n) = b^0, and any non-zero number divided by itself is 1. 0^0 is usually defined as 1 in algebra and combinatorics, which is what this calculator returns.
What does a negative exponent mean?
Take the reciprocal. 10^−2 = 1/10² = 0.01.
Why can't I raise a negative number to 0.5?
That is the square root of a negative number, which is not a real number. Whole-number exponents of negative bases are fine: (−2)³ = −8.