If you have ever needed to write mathematical equations or other scientific expressions like pH scales and very large numbers while editing your documents, then exponents should be a quick way to achieve that.
Exponents are mathematical notations that are used to represent the power to which a number or other mathematical and scientific expressions are raised.
On many word-processing apps, exponents are quite easy to add but if you’re a Google Docs user, you might be wondering if it is also possible to add exponents on the platform.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore a couple of methods and techniques that you can use to add exponents to your documents in Google Docs.
Quick Answer:
To insert an exponent in Google Docs, follow these steps.
- Open the document in Google Docs.
- Select “Insert” > “Equation” on the Google Docs menu bar.
- Type in the number and power in caret form.
- Wait for it to be converted to the exponential notation.
How To Add Exponents In Google Docs (Multiple Methods)
There are quite a few methods you can use to add exponents to your document on Google Docs. The first method is by using the Google Docs equations tool which allows users to create different types of equations directly on their documents.
Other methods include using the superscript text formatting option and utilizing other keyboard shortcuts which will be outlined later in the article.
Below, we discuss the various methods you can use to insert exponents into your document on Google Docs. All the below methods will work for adding exponents in Google Docs on Mac, Windows, Chromebook, Linux, and any computer where you can access Google Docs.
Method 1: Using the Google Docs Equations tool.
If you’re trying to add mathematical equations to your document using exponents, then we recommend using the built-in Google Docs equation tool.
Here is how to add exponents in Google Docs using the Equations tool.
Step 1: Open the Google Document.
First, go to the Google Docs dashboard then select the document you want to add exponents to.
If you want to add exponents to a new document, click the “+” floating icon at the bottom right corner of the dashboard to create a new untitled document on Google Docs.
Already have the document opened? You can skip this step.
Next, you will need to open up the Google Docs Equations tool on your document.
To do this, go to the Google Docs menu bar, click “Insert” then select “Equation” from the sub-menu options to open up the equations tool.
Step 3: Create an equation with exponents.
Now you should see a small text box with a text cursor inside. In this text box (or equation box), you can type in quite some mathematical and scientific equations as long as they’re supported.
To type in exponents in this box, you will need to enter the numbers in caret form and it will automatically be changed to the corresponding exponential form.
For example, if you want to type in 4 raised to the power of 3 in its exponential form “43”, type in “4^3” in the text box and it will be automatically changed to the corresponding exponential form.
To get the Caret symbol (^), hit and hold Shift + 6 on your keyboard.
This is the keyboard shortcut to get this symbol regardless of the operating system you use but in a few rare cases, it might not work. If the shortcut doesn’t work on your end, just look for the sign on your keyboard and hit Shift + the key that has the sign.
You can also type in “caret symbol” into Google copy the symbol directly from the search results then paste it into the equation box.
And that’s how you can write exponents in Google Docs by using the equations tool.
Method 2: Using Superscript.
Another way to get exponents in Google Docs is by using the Superscript feature.
This is especially useful if you want the equation or expression you intend to exponents in to blend in with other texts or your document since equations created with the Google Docs equation tool appear different from other text in most cases.
Here is how to add exponents in Google Docs using the Superscript formatting option.
Step 1: Open the document in Google Docs.
First, go to the Google Docs dashboard and open up the document you want to add the exponents to using superscripts.
If you already have the document opened up on a window in your web browser, you can skip this step.
Step 2: Highlight the power (exponent).
Next, type in 2 numbers – the number to be raised first, and then the number to be used as the power or exponent.
After typing in both numbers on the page, highlight the number to be used as the power or exponent as shown in the screenshot below.
Step 3: Change the number to a superscript.
Now to change the number you highlighted to the power or exponent using superscript, go to the Google Docs menu bar and click “Format” > “Text” then choose “Superscript” from the available sub-menu options.
After selecting the “Superscript” option from the available text formatting menu options, go back to your document and the number you selected should now show up as the power or exponent of the first number as you can see in the screenshot below.
And that’s how you can add exponents in Google Docs using the Superscript feature.
Method 3: Using a keyboard shortcut.
Another way to add exponents in Google Docs is using the Superscript keyboard shortcut.
This is the same as the Method 2 we discussed above, the only difference is that you can use a simple keyboard shortcut instead of going through the Google Docs menu bar.
To insert exponents in Google Docs by using a keyboard shortcut, first input two numbers – the number to be raised and the number to be used as the power or exponent.
After that, select the number you want to use as a power or expense then hit Ctrl + . (or command + . for macOS users) on your keyboard.
How To Add Square (2) In Google Docs?
Adding a square or squaring a number is the same as making an exponent 2 in Google Docs. The process is the same and you can use any of the methods we discussed above to achieve this.
To add a square (2) to a number in Google Docs, first type in the number to be raised and “2” on a page in your document.
Next, highlight “2” either by using a key combination of shift + left arrow or your mouse pointer.
After highlighting, go to the Google Docs menu bar and click “Format” > “Text” then choose “Superscript” from the text formatting sub-menu options.
Alternatively, you can also use a key combination of Ctrl + . (or command + . for macOS users) to make a number a superscript.
And that’s it. You should see that the number is now squared after selecting the superscript option in the menu bar.
Wrapping Up
Exponents remain a very useful tool in mathematical equations, scientific expressions, statistical representation, and data analysis. They are primarily used to show or represent the number of times a number is multiplied by itself.
On most word processing platforms, adding exponents to your documents is a breeze and that is also the case for Google’s free document editing offering – Google Docs.
Throughout this article, we have explored various methods and techniques to incorporate exponents seamlessly into your documents in Google Docs.
These methods include using the built-in Google Docs equation tool, utilizing the Superscript text formatting option, and using special keyboard shortcuts.
