What is an exponent (power)?

An exponent, or power, is the small raised number that tells you how many times to multiply a number by itself. In 2³, the 2 is the base and the 3 is the exponent, meaning 2 × 2 × 2. Squaring (power of 2) and cubing (power of 3) are the exponents children meet first.

Examples

• 2³ = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8.
• 10² = 10 × 10 = 100.
• 5¹ = 5 (any number to the power 1 is itself).

Quick facts

• A power of 2 is called 'squared'; a power of 3 is called 'cubed'.
• Any number (except 0) to the power of 0 equals 1.