Exponent Calculator
Enter a base and an exponent to compute base ^ exponent — whole, negative and fractional powers are all supported, with the working shown.
Reviewed by the OmniCalc teamMethod verified 2026-07-01
1,024
Result 2^10 = 1,024Show steps
- Substitute the values: 2^10.
- Raise the base 2 to the power 10.
- Result: 2^10 = 1,024.
How to use the exponent calculator
- 1Enter the base (b) — the number being raised to a power.
- 2Enter the exponent (n) — the power to raise the base to. The exponent can be negative (a reciprocal) or fractional (a root).
- 3Read the result bn, computed instantly.
- 4Open Show steps under the result to see the exact arithmetic.
The formula
result = bⁿ = b × b × … × b (n times)
A whole-number exponent means repeated multiplication of the base by itself; a negative exponent gives a reciprocal (b⁻ⁿ = 1 ÷ bⁿ); and a fractional exponent gives a root(b^0.5 = √b). Every answer comes with a “Show steps” breakdown so you can follow the exact arithmetic.
A power is not the same as multiplying
2³ is not 2 × 3. A power multiplies the base by itself as many times as the exponent: 2³ = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8, not 6. That is why powers grow far faster than plain multiplication — 2¹⁰ is already 1,024.
Frequently asked questions
What is an exponent?
An exponent (also called a power) tells you how many times to multiply the base by itself. In bⁿ, b is the base and n is the exponent, so 2³ means 2 × 2 × 2 = 8. The exponent is written as the small raised number.
What does a negative exponent mean?
A negative exponent is a reciprocal: b⁻ⁿ equals 1 ÷ bⁿ. For example 2⁻² = 1 ÷ 2² = 1 ÷ 4 = 0.25. The sign of the exponent flips the value to one over the positive power — it does not make the result negative.
What does a fractional exponent do?
A fractional exponent is a root. Raising to the power 0.5 is the same as taking the square root, so 9^0.5 = √9 = 3, and the power 1/3 is a cube root. A negative fraction combines both ideas — 4^-0.5 is one over the square root of 4, which is 0.5.
Why do I get no result for some inputs?
Some combinations have no real, finite answer, so the calculator shows a dash. Raising 0 to a negative power divides by zero (0⁻¹ = 1 ÷ 0), a fractional power of a negative base such as (−2)^0.5 is not a real number, and a very large power like 2^1024 overflows beyond what can be represented.
Why is any number to the power of 0 equal to 1?
For any non-zero base, b⁰ = 1. It follows from the rule bᵐ ÷ bⁿ = bᵐ⁻ⁿ: dividing bⁿ by itself gives bⁿ⁻ⁿ = b⁰, and any non-zero number divided by itself is 1.