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How to Calculate Exponential Fractions

Exponents are values that indicate the number of times a certain base is multiplied. For example, if you have 2^3, you would multiply 2 three times in a row to get an answer of 8. This is a common type of problem that you might see in a high school or college algebra course. Some exponents are in the form of fractions. You can solve fractional exponents if you follow the rule that relates fractional exponents to roots.

Instructions

- 1
  Write down the problem. You might have a problem such as 4^(3/2).
- 2
  Multiply the base the number of times indicated by the numerator (top number) of the fraction. In this case, you would multiply 4 times 4 times 4 to get 64.
- 3
  Take the root of your answer from Step 2, as indicated by the denominator (bottom number) of the fraction. In this case, you would take the second or "square" root of 64. Because 8 times 8 equals 64, this is the solution for the problem.

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