Exponents refer to a number raised to the power of another number. The "power" means how many times the base number is multiplied by itself. As an example, 10 to the second power, also called "10-squared," simply means 10 times 10. In business, many important calculations, such as growth projections, require exponents. If you're an avid Microsoft Excel user, you will likely eventually need to use exponents in Excel.
1. Open your business spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel.
2. Use the "Power" function to specify an exponent using the format "Power(number,power)." When used by itself, you need to add an "=" sign at the beginning. As an example, "=Power(10,2)" raises 10 to the second power.
3. Substitute Excel's "^" shorthand in place of the Power function using the format "number^power." As an example, "=10^2" performs the same function as "=Power(10,2)."
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