Raise any base to any power — negatives and decimals included
Enter Values
Quick examples
Result
Step-by-step
Exponent Rules
An exponent calculator lets you instantly compute any base raised to any power — from simple integers like 2^10 to tricky cases like negative bases, decimal exponents, and fractional powers (roots). Enter your base and exponent, and this free tool returns the exact result, scientific notation for large values, a step-by-step multiplication breakdown, and a handy reference for the core exponent rules.
A negative exponent means you take the reciprocal of the positive power. For example, 2^(-3) = 1 / 2^3 = 1/8 = 0.125. The calculator handles this automatically and shows the working.
Yes. A fractional exponent is equivalent to a root: 9^0.5 equals √9 = 3, and 8^(1/3) equals the cube root of 8 = 2. Enter any decimal value in the exponent field.
A negative base raised to a non-integer exponent (e.g. (-4)^0.5) yields a complex (imaginary) number that cannot be expressed as a real decimal. The calculator flags this clearly and suggests using an integer exponent instead.
By the most widely used mathematical convention — and IEEE 754 floating-point — 0^0 is defined as 1. This is the value used in combinatorics, power series, and most calculators.