Exponent calculator with steps
Type a base and an exponent to see the answer, the multiplication written out, each step, and the pattern behind zero and negative powers.
🧒 Kids: try 2 and 5, or tap an example. Work it out on paper first, then check your steps here!
Exponent calculator
What the calculator shows
- The answer, exactly. Fractions stay as fractions, and decimals are shown when they end.
- The power written as a multiplication, like 3⁴ = 3 × 3 × 3 × 3.
- Each step of the multiplying: 3 × 3 = 9, 9 × 3 = 27, 27 × 3 = 81.
- A pattern table of the powers around it. Each row down divides by the base, which explains why 3⁰ = 1 and 3⁻¹ = 1/3.
- Scientific notation for very big or very small answers.
Ready-made examples to try
Each link opens the calculator with the numbers filled in.
How to type a power
- Base: a whole number like 7, a negative number like −2, a decimal like 1.5, or a fraction like 2/3.
- Exponent: a whole number from −10 to 30. Use the minus sign for negative exponents.
- A negative base is always put in brackets, so −3 with exponent 2 means (−3)² = 9.
How to read a power
In 5³, the 5 is the base and the 3 is the exponent (also called the power or index). Read it as “5 to the power of 3” or “5 cubed”. A power of 2 is read as “squared”.
Squares and cubes get their names from shapes. 5² is the number of dots in a 5 by 5 square, and 5³ is the number of blocks in a 5 by 5 by 5 cube.
Zero and negative exponents, explained by the table
Look at the powers of 2 going down: 2³ = 8, 2² = 4, 2¹ = 2. Each time the exponent goes down by 1, the answer is divided by 2. Keep going: 2⁰ = 1, 2⁻¹ = 1/2, 2⁻² = 1/4.
That is all a negative exponent means: 1 divided by the power. The calculator’s table shows the same pattern for any base, with the row you asked about highlighted.
Common mistakes the steps catch
- Base times exponent: 2⁵ is 32, not 10.
- A negative exponent read as a negative answer: 2⁻³ is 1/8, not −8.
- Brackets and negative bases: (−3)² = 9, but −3² means −(3²) = −9.
- Zero exponent: 5⁰ is 1, not 0.
Exponents by grade
| Grade | What children work out | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | Powers of 10, like 10⁴ = 10,000 | 5.NBT.A.2 |
| Grade 6 | Whole-number exponents, like 3⁴ = 81 | 6.EE.A.1 |
| Grade 8 | Zero and negative exponents, and very big and small numbers | 8.EE.A.1, 8.EE.A.3 |
In India, the class 8 chapter “Power Play” covers exponents, including zero and negative powers.
For teachers
Project the calculator and ask the class to predict the next row of the table before you show it. To share a power, add ?b= and ?e= to the address, for example ?b=2&e=-3 for 2⁻³. Nothing is stored and no login is needed.
More exponents help
- Exponents practice: 10 questions on any of 15 skills, marked as you go.
- Exponent calculator: any base and exponent, with every step and the pattern table.
- Order of operations with exponents: why 2 × 3² is 18, not 36.
- Multiplying integers: why (−3)² is 9 but −3² is −9.
- Multiplying by 10, 100 and 1,000: the start of powers of 10.
- Worksheets: exponents worksheet · exponent rules · scientific notation · square roots · make a fresh test
Back to exponents for kids · 6th grade math · 8th grade math
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Questions parents ask
How do I use the exponent calculator?
Type the base and the exponent, then press Work it out. The calculator shows the answer, the power written as a multiplication, each step of the multiplying, and a table of the powers above and below.
What is an exponent?
The small raised number in a power like 2⁵. It tells you how many times to use the base as a factor: 2⁵ = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 32.
Why is any number to the power of 0 equal to 1?
Each step down in the exponent divides by the base: 2³ = 8, 2² = 4, 2¹ = 2, so 2⁰ = 2 ÷ 2 = 1. The table in the calculator shows this pattern for any base.
What does a negative exponent mean?
Divide instead of multiply. 2⁻³ = 1 ÷ 2³ = 1/8. A negative exponent makes a small positive number, not a negative one.
Can the calculator work with fractions and decimals?
Yes. Type a base like 2/3 or 1.5. The answer is exact, so (2/3)² is shown as 4/9, and (1.5)² as 9/4 = 2.25.
What happens with very big answers?
Big answers are shown in full and also in scientific notation, like 9²⁰ ≈ 1.216 × 10¹⁹. That is how scientists write very large numbers.