How to use the powers table
- Type a base, or click one of the common ones from 2 to 20.
- Set Up to n = for how far the table goes, up to 100.
- Click a value to copy it without commas, or press Download CSV to save the whole table.
Reading the table
Each row is one exponent. The middle column is the exact value, with commas to make long numbers readable. The last column gives the same value in scientific notation, so 3²⁰ = 3,486,784,401 reads as 3.486 × 10⁹: a little under 3.5 billion. When you only need the size of a number, that column is quicker to scan.
Where powers come up
- Growth that compounds. Anything that multiplies by the same amount each step, like money at a fixed interest rate or a population that doubles, follows the powers of that factor.
- Number systems. Each place in a number is a power of its base: in decimal, ones, tens and hundreds are 10⁰, 10¹ and 10². In binary they’re powers of 2, and in hexadecimal powers of 16.
- Areas and volumes. A square’s area is its side to the power of 2, and a cube’s volume is its side to the power of 3.
For a single value with a fractional or negative exponent, such as 2^0.5 or 10^-3, use the exponent calculator.