How Do You Manually Figure Math Exponents?
Usually around middle school you must learn to calculate exponents. While a calculator easily performs the task, your teacher probably won’t always allow you to use one. In these cases, you need to know how to manually figure math exponents. Learning to manually solve exponents in simple equations will aid you as you advance into higher level algebra classes, where exponents are only one step in more complex multiple step equations. Look at the exponent problem in front of you. Distinguish between the base and the exponent. The large number on the left is the base and the little number to it’s upper right is the exponent. Sometimes you may also write it as “2^4,” which reads “2 to the fourth power.” Decide if your exponent is positive or negative. If it’s positive, continue reading through step 6. If the exponent is negative, follow through to the final step. Understand that the exponent tells you how many of your base numbers you have. For example, in the problem “2^4,” the “4” indica
