`pow()` CSS function

The pow() CSS function is an exponential function that returns the value of a base raised to the power of a number.

The exp() function is a special case of pow() where the value of the base is the mathematical constant e.

Syntax

/* A <number> value */
width: calc(10px * pow(5, 2)); /* 10px * 25 = 250px */
width: calc(10px * pow(5, 3)); /* 10px * 125 = 1250px */
width: calc(10px * pow(2, 10)); /* 10px * 1024 = 10240px */

Parameters

The pow(base, number) function accepts two comma-separated values as its parameters.

base

A calculation that resolves to a <number>, representing the base.

number

A calculation that resolves to a <number>, representing the exponent.

Return value

Returns a <number> representing base^number, that is, base raised to the power of number.

Formal syntax

<pow()> = 
  pow( <calc-sum>, <calc-sum> )

<calc-sum> = 
  <calc-product> [ [ '+' | '-' ] <calc-product> ]*

<calc-product> = 
  <calc-value> [ '*' <calc-value> | '/' <number> ]*

<calc-value> = 
  <number> |
  <dimension> |
  <percentage> |
  <calc-constant> |
  ( <calc-sum> )

<calc-constant> = 
  e |
  pi |
  infinity |
  -infinity |
  NaN

Examples

Scale headings by fixed ratio

The pow() function can be useful for strategies like CSS Modular Scale, which relates all the font-sizes on a page to each other by a fixed ratio.

HTML

<h1>Heading 1</h1>
<h2>Heading 2</h2>
<h3>Heading 3</h3>
<h4>Heading 4</h4>
<h5>Heading 5</h5>
<h6>Heading 6</h6>

CSS

h1 {
  font-size: calc(1rem * pow(1.5, 4));
}
h2 {
  font-size: calc(1rem * pow(1.5, 3));
}
h3 {
  font-size: calc(1rem * pow(1.5, 2));
}
h4 {
  font-size: calc(1rem * pow(1.5, 1));
}
h5 {
  font-size: calc(1rem * pow(1.5, 0));
}
h6 {
  font-size: calc(1rem * pow(1.5, -1));
}

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• sqrt()
• hypot()
• exp()
• log()