How to use POWER Google Sheets formula?

The syntax for the POWER formula is =POWER(base, exponent), it has 2 required parameters.

POWER

The POWER formula is a mathematical function that calculates a number raised to the power of another number. It returns the result of a base number raised to an exponent.

How to use POWER formula?
Examples of using POWER formula
POWER formula not working?
Similar formulas to POWER

Usage

Use the POWER formula with the syntax shown below, it has 2 required parameters:

=POWER(base, exponent)

Parameters:

base (required):
The base number that will be raised to the power of the exponent. It can be a number, cell reference, or a formula that returns a number.
exponent (required):
The exponent to which the base number will be raised. It can be a number, cell reference, or a formula that returns a number.

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the POWER formula in Google Sheets.

Calculate compound interest

You can use the POWER formula to calculate the compound interest on an investment. For example, if you invest $1000 at 5% annual interest rate for 10 years, you can calculate the future value of the investment using the formula =1000*POWER(1+5%,10).

Calculate exponential growth

If you want to calculate the exponential growth of a population, you can use the POWER formula. For example, if a population grows at a rate of 2.5% per year, you can calculate the population after 10 years using the formula =1000*POWER(1+2.5%,10).

Calculate area or volume

The POWER formula can be used to calculate the area or volume of geometric shapes that have a power relationship between their dimensions. For example, to calculate the volume of a cube with side length 5, you can use the formula =POWER(5,3).

Common Mistakes

POWER not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the POWER Google Sheets Formula:

Incorrect order of base and exponent

Users often input the exponent first and then the base, resulting in an error. The correct order is to input the base first and then the exponent.

Mistyped function name

Users may accidentally misspell the function name as 'POW' instead of 'POWER', resulting in an unknown function error.

Non-numeric input

If either the base or exponent input is non-numeric, the formula will result in a #VALUE! error. Ensure both inputs are valid numbers.

The following functions are similar to POWER or are often used with it in a formula:

SQRT
The SQRT function returns the positive square root of a given number. It can be used to find the length of a side of a right triangle, or to calculate standard deviation. The function takes one argument, the value or reference to the cell containing the number for which you want to find the square root.
LOG
The LOG function in Google Sheets returns the logarithm of a given number to a specified base. This function is commonly used in mathematical and financial calculations.
EXP
The EXP function returns the result of e raised to the power of a given exponent. This function is commonly used in mathematical and scientific calculations.
PRODUCT
The PRODUCT formula in Google Sheets multiplies all the numbers given in the arguments and returns the product. It is commonly used to calculate the total product of a range of cells.
SUM
The SUM function in Google Sheets adds up a range of numbers. This function is most commonly used to sum the values in a range of cells.

Learn More

You can learn more about the POWER Google Sheets function on Google Support.