---
title: Fractional Exponents
---
## Fractional Exponents

Fractional Exponents are used to raise a number to an exponent that is not a whole number.  If you have worked with exponents and square roots before, you have already done fractional exponents before.  For example, the square root of 3 is the same as saying 3 to the 1/2.

<img src="http://www.mathwarehouse.com/algebra/exponents/fraction-exponents/images/square-root-as-fraction.gif">

Knowing that any whole number can be represented as a fractionwith a denomenator of one, raising anything to n/1 is the same thing as raising that number to n.  Putting the two together, we can write the general formula of fractonal exponents as:

<img src="http://www.mathwarehouse.com/algebra/exponents/fraction-exponents/images/formula-numerator-not-one.gif">

**Note: It doesn't matter which you do first, the numerator or denomenator**

Here is an example:

<img src="http://www.mathwarehouse.com/algebra/exponents/fraction-exponents/images/formula-numerator-not-one2.gif">

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#### More Information:
<!-- Please add any articles you think might be helpful to read before writing the article -->
http://www.mathwarehouse.com/algebra/exponents/fraction-exponents/formula-examples-simplify-exponents-with-fractions.php
https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/exponent-fractional.html