Free calculator
Exponent calculator
Compute a^b (any base and real exponent you can type) and a separate e^x line for the natural exponential. This page uses the same floating-point rules as your browser and common spreadsheets—POWER and EXP in Google Sheets and Excel—and clearly flags results that are not real numbers (for example, a negative base raised to a non-integer). Not a symbolic algebra step-by-step solver like some homework tools.
When to use this calculator
Check a^b and e^x before you paste the same call into a sheet cell.
- Match
POWER(a,b)in Excel or Google Sheets (English names) for the same two numbers. - Compare e^x to
EXP(x)in your workbook when the base is Euler’s number e. - Tie CAGR and compound formulas back to a transparent (1+r)^t-style power in one place on this site (see the CAGR and compound interest tools for full sheets).
- For any-base logarithms (inverse of powers), use this site’s log calculator.
This tool evaluates a^b with real double-precision rules (the same IEEE-754 family you get from Math.pow in a browser) and a small real-root fix when a negative base and a rational 1/b (odd n) need the odd-nth root. e^x is Math.exp(x). The goal is a fast result that you can line up with POWER / EXP in Sheets and Excel, not a computer algebra system.
a^b as repeated multiplication (when it helps intuition)
For a non-negative base and a positive integer b, a^b means a multiplied by itself b times. 0^0 is a convention—here it follows the 1 your spreadsheet returns for POWER(0,0); some math texts leave 0^0 undefined, so we mention it in the FAQ.
Negative, fractional, and “not real” cases
A negative exponent is 1 ÷ a^|b| when a ≠ 0. A fractional exponent is a root when a real value exists. When a < 0 and the exponent is not on a domain where a real value exists, this page errors—we do not invent complex numbers on the main readout (see FAQ).
What to do in a spreadsheet for more structure
This page is one number at a time. For long tables and dates, the CAGR or future value tools, or your own rows with POWER / FV patterns, may be easier than retyping exponents in a small box.
For multi-year growth that chains (1+r)^n-style, open the CAGR calculator after you check a single power in this box.
To solve for an exponent (log) instead of a power, open the log calculator for y = log_b(x) and antilog b^y with domain checks.
The log tool on this site inverts the same POWER story with LOG and LN; compound interest and CAGR are where (1 + rate)^n exponents show up in finance templates.
The FAQ covers 0^0, 0 to a negative exponent, e^x vs POWER(EXP(1),x), and the difference from step-by-step algebra apps.
Google Sheets & Excel (POWER, EXP)
In Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel (English), POWER(a,b) is a^b, and EXP(x) is e^x. The cards copy common layouts; confirm localized function names on your build if the UI is not in English (see the FAQ and per-locale example rows where provided).
=POWER(A1,B1)A1 = base a, B1 = b. POWER matches this page for valid real pairs. Google Sheets uses the same function name; argument separators can be commas or semicolons depending on locale.
=EXP(D1)D1 holds the x in e^x—separate from POWER when the base is not e.
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Frequently asked questions
What is an exponent calculator for?
It computes a^b—a base a raised to a power b. You can think of it as a quick check that matches the POWER function in spreadsheets (with the same limits and conventions as double-precision numbers).
What does a negative exponent do?
A negative exponent flips the base into the denominator: a^{−b} = 1 ÷ a^b (with a ≠ 0). The tool follows that same rule.
What is anything to the 0 power?
For a ≠ 0, a^0 = 1 in the usual real-number story. The special case 0^0 is conventionally 1 in most spreadsheet and JS engines (including what we use) but is sometimes left undefined in higher math; see the next question.
Is 0^0 equal to 1?
This page returns 1 for 0^0 to match Google Sheets / Excel POWER(0,0) and Math.pow(0,0) in a browser. If your course excludes 0^0, treat the field as a teaching edge case instead of a proof system.
What about fractional exponents and roots?
A rational exponent like 1/n (with n a positive integer) corresponds to an n-th root when a real value exists. For a negative base and a non-integer in between, a real value may not exist; the page shows an error instead of guessing a complex number.
Can the base be negative?
Yes, when a real value exists. Integer exponents (like (−2)^3) work. Some odd roots of negative numbers are recovered when floating-point pow would return NaN; other pairs have no real result, and the tool will say so.
Which Google Sheets and Excel names match a^b and e^x?
Use POWER(a,b) for a^b and EXP(x) for e^x (English). German Excel often uses POTENZ / EXP, and French has PUISSANCE / EXP—use Insert function in your app to see the exact labels for your language. Google Sheets in non-English locales can still show English names depending on the spreadsheet language.
Is e^x the same as POWER(EXP(1), x)?
For real x in the usual model, e^x and EXP(x) match POWER(2.718281828459045, x) in spirit, but the clean pattern is always EXP(x) in sheets—never retype an approximate e to raise it to a power for general work.
Does this replace a step-by-step algebra app?
No. Tools like Symbolab and Mathway simplify or prove symbolic expressions. This page is a number-in, number-out check aligned with spreadsheet POWER / EXP—faster, smaller, and easier to line up with Sheets and Excel.
Is this professional or exam advice?
No. It is a free educational calculator. For course exams or published analysis, follow your institution’s required methods and rounding.