How to Make Exponents on Any Keyboard
No computer keyboard has a special button or shortcuts to quickly type exponents although mobile keyboards do make it a little easier. When working on a scientific or a mathematical document, look for the Superscript feature in the word processor. Microsoft Word, Pages in macOS, and presentation software like PowerPoint and Keynote have the superscript format.
You can also use the caret (^) symbol to represent an exponent in plain text as an alternate solution.
How to Type an Exponent on a Windows PC
On a Windows PC, the quickest method is to use Alt codes for typing an exponent. But you may have to rely on another workaround if your keyboard doesn’t have a numeric keypad.
Use Alt Codes on Keyboards With a Numeric Keypad
You can use Alt key codes to insert exponents with the keyboard on a Windows PC. Follow these steps to type exponents on a PC with a numeric keypad.
Place the insertion pointer where you need an exponent and select the Num lock key on the keyboard. Select and hold the Alt key on the numeric keypad. Type the alt code (0185) in sequence for exponent one using the numeric keypad. Similarly, use Alt + 0178 for exponent two and Alt + 0179 for exponent three. Each exponent uses a different numeric combination with the Alt key which you can easily find with a web search.
Use the Character Map
Windows has a Character map that helps you access different symbols and special characters not found on a keyboard. Use the Character Map to copy and paste superscript numbers for exponential calculations.
In the Search bar, enter “character map”. Select the result to open the Character Map. Select a font (or use the default “Ariel”) to display all the characters available for it. Scroll through the little tiles or enter “superscript” in the Search field to display the superscript available. If you don’t see the Search field, select Advanced view to reveal more menu options. Select the superscript number and use the Select button to make it appear in the Characters to copy field. Select Copy and then paste it in the application you need it in.
How to Type an Exponent on a Mac
macOS makes using exponents less of a hassle in the built-in apps like Notes, TextEdit, and Pages. In these apps, you can use the Baseline format to add superscripts which can act as exponents.
Open Notes, Pages, TextEdit, or another native document processor, type the base number and the desired number for the exponent together. For instance, X2. Select the number you want to raise as an exponent. Select Format > Font > Baseline > Superscript.
When a text editor doesn’t have the option to raise or lower numbers as exponents, copy the exponent from the Notes app or the Pages app, and paste it on the other document to see if the target document retains the formatting.
How to Type an Exponent on an Android
An Android keyboard makes it easy to type any superscript. Unlike the iOS keyboard, the function is built into the numeric keys.
Open the application where you want to type an exponent and tap the text field to display the keyboard. Select the ?123 keys to shift to the number keypad. Type the base number or a variable like “x”. Press and hold on the number you want to select for the exponent. Select the superscript from the options that appear above the number. How to Type an Exponent on an iPhone The default iOS keyboard doesn’t have a feature to add exponents. You can use Text Replacement for occasional uses. Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. Select “+” in the top right corner. Go to a symbol generator website and create a superscript for the desired number. Copy the number. Under Phrase, paste the number which will act as the exponent. Under Shortcut, enter a shortcut (like “^2”). Select Save. Use the shortcut in any text and repeat the steps to enter text replacements for other exponents.
How to Type an Exponent on an iPhone
The default iOS keyboard doesn’t have a feature to add exponents. You can use Text Replacement for occasional uses.
