Exponent Calculator
Raise any base to any power, including negative and fractional exponents, and see the result in plain and scientific notation.
How to use it
- Enter the base and the exponent — both can be negative or fractional.
- A fractional exponent is a root: b^0.5 is the square root of b.
- Very large results are also shown in scientific notation.
Examples
| 2^10 | 1024 |
| 10^-3 | 0.001 |
| 27^(1/3) | 3 |
An exponent tells you how many times a base multiplies itself: bⁿ. This tool handles the three cases that trip up mental arithmetic — negative exponents (which flip to a fraction), fractional exponents (which become roots), and bases raised to large powers, where the plain-number answer quickly runs past what a calculator display can show comfortably.
Negative and fractional exponents
- A negative exponent is a reciprocal: b⁻ⁿ = 1 ÷ bⁿ. So 10⁻³ = 1 ÷ 1000 = 0.001.
- A fractional exponent is a root: b^(1/n) is the nth root of b. 27^(1/3) is the cube root of 27, which is 3.
- Combined exponents like 8^(2/3) mean cube-root-then-square (or square-then-cube-root): the cube root of 8 is 2, and 2² is 4.
Worked example — compound growth
An investment of £2,000 grows at 6% a year for 8 years: 2,000 × 1.06⁸. Working out 1.06⁸ ≈ 1.5938 first, the total comes to about £3,187.60. The same exponent mechanics sit behind every compound interest, population growth and radioactive decay formula — only the base and the sign of the rate change.
Questions people ask
What does a negative exponent mean?
It means the reciprocal: b⁻ⁿ = 1 ÷ bⁿ. So 10⁻³ is 1 ÷ 1000 = 0.001.
Why is anything to the power of zero equal to 1?
Because bⁿ ÷ bⁿ = b⁰ and any non-zero number divided by itself is 1. 0⁰ is left undefined.
Is anything sent to a server?
No. Every calculation runs in your browser, so nothing you type is uploaded and the page keeps working offline once it has loaded.
Last updated 17 August 2026