Exponent Calculator

Raise any number to a power, including negative and fractional exponents.

Runs in your browser — nothing is sent or saved.

How to use the exponent calculator

  1. Enter the base number.
  2. Enter the exponent, the power to raise it to.
  3. Read the result and the formula.
  4. Copy the link to save or share it.

What an exponent means

An exponent, or power, tells you how many times to multiply a number by itself. In the expression x to the power of y, x is the base and y is the exponent. So 2 to the power of 3 means 2 times 2 times 2, which is 8. This exponent calculator, a power calculator for any base raised to the power you choose, handles that for any base and power, and shows the calculation so you can check it.

Negative and fractional exponents

Exponents are not limited to whole numbers. A negative exponent means one divided by the positive power, so 2 to the power of minus 3 is 1 divided by 8, which is 0.125. A fractional exponent is a root: raising to the power of one half is the same as taking the square root. The tool handles both, and flags the one case with no real answer, a negative base with a fractional exponent.

A worked example

Take 5 to the power of 4. That is 5 times 5 times 5 times 5. Working left to right, 5 times 5 is 25, times 5 is 125, times 5 is 625. So 5 to the power of 4 equals 625. Try it in the tool and the formula box shows the same line.

FAQ

What is x to the power of y?

It means multiplying x by itself y times. Enter the base and the exponent and the tool returns the result, for example 3 to the power of 4 is 81.

What does a negative exponent do?

A negative exponent gives the reciprocal of the positive power. So x to the power of minus n equals one divided by x to the power of n. The tool shows this split for negative whole powers.

What is a fractional exponent?

A fractional exponent is a root. Raising to the power of one half is a square root, one third is a cube root, and so on. The tool computes these as decimals.

Why does it say no real result?

A negative base with a fractional exponent, such as minus 4 to the power of one half, has no real value because you cannot take the square root of a negative number in the real numbers.

Is my information private?

Yes. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing you enter is uploaded or saved.