Power calculator
Power calculator Positive, negative and decimal exponents. Includes rules and scientific notation.
A =
Enter the base number for power calculation
B =
Enter the exponent for power calculation
AB =
What is a power?
A power is repeated multiplication: a^n means a multiplied by itself n times. E.g. 5² = 25.
Powers are used in geometry (area, volume), science (orders of magnitude) and computing.
Power rules
- Product: a^m × a^n = a^(m+n).
- Quotient: a^m ÷ a^n = a^(m−n).
- Power of a power: (a^m)^n = a^(m×n).
- Negative exponent: a^(−n) = 1 / a^n.
- Zero exponent: a^0 = 1, if a ≠ 0.
Scientific notation
In scientific notation: a × 10^n with 1 ≤ a < 10. Useful for very large or very small numbers.
E.g. 3,400,000 = 3.4 × 10⁶.
Sample powers
5² = 25.
2⁶ = 64.
10⁻³ = 0.001.
3² × 3³ = 3⁵ = 243.
Where powers appear
- Areas (power 2) and volumes (power 3).
- Computing: powers of 2 (bytes, kilobytes).
- Science: scientific notation and orders of magnitude.
- Finance: compound interest.
Quick reference
- Why is 0^0 special? Often defined as undefined.
- Negative base? Even exponent → positive, odd → negative.
- Want the method explained? Use the home-page solver for a full derivation.