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Powers - GCSE Maths Definition

Reviewed by: Mark Curtis

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What are powers?

The power of a number is the amount of times you need to repeatedly multiply that number by itself, written in superscript (to the top right of the number). For example,

5 cubed equals 5 cross times 5 cross times 5 equals 125

The big number on the bottom is called the base and the small number on the top is called the the power (or the index, or the exponent). In the example above, 5 is the base, 3 is the power, and 5 to the power of 3 is equal to 125.

Powers are used a lot in algebra, such as x cubed, and it is possible to have powers that are negative or fractional.

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Mark Curtis

Reviewer: Mark Curtis

Expertise: Maths Content Creator

Mark graduated twice from the University of Oxford: once in 2009 with a First in Mathematics, then again in 2013 with a PhD (DPhil) in Mathematics. He has had nine successful years as a secondary school teacher, specialising in A-Level Further Maths and running extension classes for Oxbridge Maths applicants. Alongside his teaching, he has written five internal textbooks, introduced new spiralling school curriculums and trained other Maths teachers through outreach programmes.

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