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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
