Powers, Roots & Exponentials (POWER, SQRT, EXP)

Excel Formulas › Math

All versionsPOWER

Raise to a power, take any root, or compute ex. POWER (or the ^ operator) handles exponents, SQRT the square root, and EXP the natural exponential — the inverse of LN.

Quick formula: raise A2 to the power B2:
=POWER(A2, B2) // or =A2^B2
POWER(base, exp) = base^exp. SQRT(x) = x^0.5. EXP(x) = e^x. A cube root is x^(1/3).

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

POWERSQRT

The example

2 to the 10th = 1024.

AB
1ExpressionResult
2POWER(2,10)1024
3SQRT(144)12

The formula

The formula:

=POWER(A2, B2) // or A2^B2

How it works

How it works:

  1. POWER(base, exponent) raises a number to a power — identical to the ^ operator.
  2. SQRT(value) is the square root; for any other root use a fractional exponent: =A2^(1/3) for a cube root.
  3. EXP(x) computes ex — the inverse of LN, used in continuous growth and decay.
  4. Chain them: compound growth is =principal * POWER(1+rate, years).

Negative bases and fractional powers can error (no real root). For an odd root of a negative number, take the root of the absolute value and reapply the sign: =SIGN(A2)*ABS(A2)^(1/3).

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Base and exponent.

Power · √base

Variations

Cube root

Fractional power:

=A2^(1/3)

e to the x

Exponential:

=EXP(A2)

Compound growth

Power in finance:

=principal * POWER(1+rate, years)

Pitfalls & errors

^ and POWER match. A2^B2 equals POWER(A2,B2) — use whichever reads clearer.

Negative base, fractional power. No real root → #NUM! error. Use the SIGN/ABS trick.

EXP vs POWER. EXP is base e specifically; for other bases use POWER or ^.

Practice workbook

📊
Download the free Powers, Roots & Exponentials (POWER, SQRT, EXP) practice workbook
A powers sheet with the cube-root, EXP, and compound-growth variants, plus 4 challenges with answers. No sign-up required.

Frequently asked questions

How do I raise a number to a power in Excel?
Use =POWER(base, exponent) or the ^ operator, e.g. =2^10 or =POWER(2,10) both give 1024.
How do I take a cube root or nth root?
Use a fractional exponent: =A2^(1/3) for a cube root, =A2^(1/n) for an nth root. SQRT handles the square root.
What does EXP do?
EXP(x) computes e raised to x — the inverse of LN — used in continuous growth and decay.

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Related formulas: Nth root & powers · Logarithms · Compound interest

Function references: POWER · SQRT