A plain text editor that comes with your personal computer, such as Notepad, does not allow you to type power numbers or exponents. However, rich text editors as well as spreadsheet software such as Excel allow you to type power numbers. There are primarily two methods of typing exponents in a document or a spreadsheet.
Type the base of the power number. For instance, if you want to type the square of “4,” then in this case, the base will be “4.”
Type the symbol or formula for the power number. In a rich text editor, the power number symbol is created by entering a superscript in the text. The superscript icon is given under “Font” category. For spreadsheet software, type the “^” symbol, which represents exponents.
Type the value of the power number immediately after the power symbol. If you want to take the square of “4,” then type “2” after the power symbol.
About the Author
Robert Chai has been freelancing since 2009. Primarily, he has focused on preparing and editing technical documents pertaining to the telecom, banking and insurance industries. He also provides consultancy in quality assurance and software testing. He currently holds a Master of Science degree in management information systems from the University of Toronto.