Exponent Calculator (Powers & Roots)
By Santaji GadepatilinUpdated October 27, 2026
calculated1,024
Type in any field to change it. Press × on a value to calculate that field instead.
Result (xⁿ) vs Exponent (n) — other inputs held at your current values.
How to use this calculator
Fill in any two of base, exponent and result:
- Power: base and exponent → result (2¹⁰ = 1,024)
- Root: exponent and result → base (∛125 = 5)
- Exponent: base and result → exponent (3ⁿ = 81 → n = 4)
Rules of exponents
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| xᵃ × xᵇ = xᵃ⁺ᵇ | 2³ × 2⁴ = 2⁷ = 128 |
| xᵃ ÷ xᵇ = xᵃ⁻ᵇ | 5⁶ ÷ 5⁴ = 5² = 25 |
| (xᵃ)ᵇ = xᵃᵇ | (3²)³ = 3⁶ = 729 |
| x⁰ = 1 | 7⁰ = 1 |
| x⁻ⁿ = 1/xⁿ | 10⁻² = 0.01 |
| x^(1/n) = ⁿ√x | 16^(1/2) = 4 |
Powers of 2
2⁸ = 256, 2¹⁰ = 1,024, 2¹⁶ = 65,536 and 2²⁰ = 1,048,576. These appear constantly in computing — a kilobyte in binary terms is 2¹⁰ bytes.
Growth
Anything that grows by a fixed percentage follows an exponent. Money growing 8% a year for 10 years is multiplied by 1.08¹⁰ = 2.16.
Frequently asked questions
What does an exponent mean?
It tells you how many times to multiply the base by itself. 2¹⁰ = 2 × 2 × … × 2 (ten times) = 1,024.
How do I find a root with this calculator?
Press × on Base, then enter the exponent and the result. For a cube root of 125, enter n = 3 and result = 125 to get 5.
What is a negative exponent?
A reciprocal — x⁻ⁿ = 1 ÷ xⁿ. So 2⁻³ = 1/8 = 0.125.