How do you calculate a number to the power of a fraction?

There are a lot of bases to cover when it comes to Maths exams. So, you want to give yourself as much of an advantage as possible and even consider studying online. You can also couple this with an experienced tutor who can help with your study. As a student, you will learn various math concepts, such as how to calculate fractions with exponents and you may feel like skipping such questions. When you  calculate a fraction that has an exponent, it will be a bit more complex than finding the average or mean of something, but not as difficult as you may think. 

There's no need to dodge the process of how to calculate a fraction, and we'll show you a step-by-step solution to calculate a number to the power of a fraction. You will realise how to do this in no time, and there is a use case for learning this type of formula. 

Where to begin with such a calculation

First, you will re-write the equation, making it easier to solve. That means 8^(2/3) is the same as saying the cube root of 82. Already, the formula appears to be much more manageable as you won't have to answer “how do you calculate 2/3 of a number?”.

With a re-written formula, calculate the inside first. 

Here, you will recap your order of operations, which will help you break it down. You want it to look something like this. 

8^(2/3) = (8^2)^(1/3)

Then, start working out the formula. 8 squared will get you to 64. Then, you want to take the cubed root of 64, which is equal to 4. You now have the ability to solve the equation and can swerve the question of “how do you calculate 2/3 of a number?”.

When will I ever need this?

A common question, especially in maths, is when this type of overly complicated formula will be used. Fractional exponents are frequently used in various fields, so understanding them beyond the student exam and how to calculate fractions can help with future studies and your career. It's regularly used for scaling and finding accurate dimensions, too, and it's also used in many hard sciences. These include physics and engineering when you're calculating complex formulas for force movements. 

It is easily applied to the computer science field, as well as finance and economics. There's even a simple formula, such as the compounding formula, that uses the power of a fraction. That means once you master it here, you can easily apply it to many fields in the future. Understanding this now, through your own application or the help of a tutor, will save you time down the line.