Exact
4294967296
2 to the Power of 32
Answer
2 to the power of 32 equals 4294967296.
Decimal
4294967296
Formula
2³² = 4,294,967,296
Worked steps
1
Definition
2 raised to the power of 32 means 2 multiplied by itself 32 times. Result: 4294967296.
2
Calculator method
Type 2, press ^ (or x^y), type 32, press =. Result: 4294967296.
3
Why it matters in computing
4,294,967,296 = 2³² is the number of values in a 32-bit register. The classic 32-bit address space cap and the source of the 'unsigned int' max.
About this value
2^32 = 4294967296. Powers of 2 are the bedrock of binary computing. 32-bit systems can address 2^32 = roughly 4.3 billion distinct values. The famous 'Year 2038 problem' stems from 32-bit timestamps wrapping around.
Frequently asked questions
What is 2 to the power of 32?
2 to the Power of 32 equals 4294967296 as an exact value, or 4294967296 as a decimal. The exact form is what you'd typically write in exam working; the decimal is what your calculator displays.
How do I calculate it on a calculator?
Type 2, press ^ or x^y, type the exponent, press =. The result for 2^32 is 4294967296.
Why are powers of 2 important?
Binary computing — every bit doubles the address space, every byte holds 256 distinct values (2⁸). Memory sizes, file format limits, and the famous 'Year 2038 problem' all stem from powers of 2.
Negative powers of 2?
2^(-n) = 1/(2^n). So 2^(-3) = 1/8 = 0.125. Used in binary fractions, IEEE 754 floating-point exponent biases, and signal processing.