The POWER function
Raises a number to a power. POWER(2,3) is 2×2×2, which is 8, the same as =2^3.
Syntax
POWER(number, power)- number
- The base number.
- power
- The exponent. A fraction gives a root, so 1/3 is the cube root.
Examples
B1
=POWER(12,210)| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1024 |
In plain words: 12 raised to 2the power of 10.
B1=POWER(27,1/3)
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
D1=B1*POWER(1+B2,B3)
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Starting amount | 1000 | 1628.894627 | |
| 2 | Annual growth | 0.05 | ||
| 3 | Years | 10 |
Questions
Is POWER the same as the ^ operator?
Yes. =POWER(5,2) and =5^2 both give 25. Use whichever reads better; ^ is shorter inside longer formulas.
How do I square a number in Excel?
Write =POWER(A2,2) or =A2^2. For a square root, use SQRT or a power of 1/2.