Summary

The Excel POWER function returns a number raised to a given power. The POWER function is an alternative to the exponent operator (^).

Purpose 

Raise a number to a power

Return value 

Number raised to power

Syntax

=POWER(number,power)
  • number - Number to raise to a power.
  • power - Power to raise number to (the exponent).

How to use 

The POWER function returns a number raised to a given power. POWER is an alternative to the exponent operator (^) in a math equation.

The POWER function takes two arguments: number and power. Number should be a numeric value, provided as a hardcoded constant or as a cell reference. The power argument functions as the exponent, indicating the power to which number should be raised.

Examples

To raise 2 to the 3rd power, you can use POWER like this:

=POWER(2,3) // returns 8

To raise 2 to the 8th power:

=POWER(2,8) // returns 256

To cube the value in cell A1:

=POWER(A1,3) // cube A1

Fractional exponents

To use the power function with a fractional exponent, enter the fraction directly as the power argument:

=POWER(27,1/3) // returns 3
=POWER(81,1/4) // returns 3
=POWER(256,1/8) // returns 2

Exponent operator

In Excel, exponentiation can also be handled with the exponent (^) operator, so:

=2^2=POWER(2,2)=4
=2^3=POWER(2,3)=8
=2^4=POWER(2,4)=16
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Dave Bruns

Hi - I'm Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.