What is an exponent?
A power bⁿ multiplies the base b by itself n times, where n is the exponent. For example, 2⁵ = 2×2×2×2×2 = 32. The larger the exponent, the faster the value grows — this is exponential growth.
Exponent (Power) Calculator
Instantly compute bⁿ from a base and exponent. Supports negative and fractional exponents and 0⁰, with a repeated-multiplication visualization.
25
Result
32
See it as repeated multiplication
2×2×2×2×2=32
Calculation steps
2^5 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 32
Formula
bⁿ = b × b × … × b (n times)
b⁰ = 1, b⁻ⁿ = 1 / bⁿ
b^(1/n) = ⁿ√b
A power multiplies the base by itself as many times as the exponent. Negative exponents give reciprocals, and fractional exponents give roots.
How to use
Enter the number to multiply in "Base" and how many times to multiply it in "Exponent". The result appears instantly, and for small positive integer exponents you also see the repeated-multiplication steps. Negative and decimal inputs are allowed.
Formula
bⁿ = b × b × … × b (n times). b⁰ = 1, b⁻ⁿ = 1 / bⁿ, and b^(1/n) = ⁿ√b. A negative exponent means a reciprocal; a fractional exponent means a root.
Reading the result
Positive exponents repeat multiplication, negative exponents take a reciprocal, and fractional exponents take a root. A negative base with a non-integer exponent has no real value (it is complex), so it returns an error here.
Frequently asked questions
What is 0⁰? ▾
In mathematics 0⁰ is most often defined as 1 by convention, and this calculator returns 1 (though in some contexts it is treated as undefined).
What does a negative exponent mean? ▾
A negative exponent gives a reciprocal. For example, 2⁻³ = 1 / 2³ = 1/8 = 0.125.
Can I use fractional exponents? ▾
Yes. b^(1/n) is the nth root of b. For example, 8^(1/3) = 2.
Can the base be negative? ▾
With integer exponents, yes (e.g. (-2)³ = -8). But a non-integer exponent has no real value and returns an error, because the result would be complex.
What happens with very large results? ▾
If the result exceeds the finite range (overflows), it cannot be displayed, so the calculator reports it as an error.
This calculator is a general-purpose tool for learning and quick checks.