pow()

Baseline 2023

Newly available

Since December 2023, this feature works across the latest devices and browser versions. This feature might not work in older devices or browsers.

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

css
/* 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 basenumber, 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> ]*  

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

<calc-keyword> = 
  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

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

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

Specification
CSS Values and Units Module Level 4
# exponent-funcs

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also