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About

Exponentiation is a critical operation in fields ranging from computer science to physics. This calculator raises a base number to a specific power, supporting integer, decimal, negative, and fractional exponents. It is particularly robust for handling results that exceed standard display limits, utilizing scientific notation for readability. The tool correctly applies algebraic rules for negative exponents (reciprocals) and zero exponents (identity), ensuring valid results for edge cases where standard calculators might return errors or ambiguous values.

exponents powers scientific notation algebra large numbers

Formulas

The calculation is based on the definition of power.

BaseExponent = be

For scientific notation, the result is normalized to the form:

m × 10n

Where m is the mantissa (1 ≤ |m| < 10) and n is the integer order of magnitude.

Reference Data

Rule NameFormulaExample
Product Rulexa × xb = xa+b23 × 22 = 25 = 32
Zero Exponentx0 = 1990 = 1
Negative Exponentx-n = 1xn2-2 = 0.25
Fractional Exponentx1/n = nx40.5 = 2

Frequently Asked Questions

A negative exponent indicates a reciprocal. For example, 5 to the power of -2 is treated as 1 divided by (5 squared), which equals 1/25 or 0.04.
In most algebraic contexts, 0^0 is considered indeterminate. However, in combinatorics and programming contexts, it is often defined as 1. This tool returns 1 by convention but notes the ambiguity.
Yes. Decimals (like 0.5 or 2.75) are treated as fractional powers. 4^0.5 is equivalent to the square root of 4.