6th Grade Whole-Number Exponents Worksheets
Fresh practice, ready to print. Answer key included.
Evaluating powers with whole-number bases and exponents: squares and cubes, powers of 10, small bases with exponents of 4 or 5, then one power combined with one operation. Answers are whole numbers small enough to work out by hand.
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Or start with a ready-made version.
What's on the worksheet
- Squares and cubes
Powers such as 7², 12² and 5³.
- Powers of 10
Powers such as 10³ and 10⁶, and products such as 4 × 10³.
- Exponents of 4 and 5
Small bases with a higher exponent, such as 3⁵ and 4⁴.
- Powers in expressions
One power and one operation, such as 2³ + 5 and 4 × 3².
How it works: a quick refresher
The rules this worksheet practices, then one problem worked from start to finish.
| Strategy | How it works |
|---|---|
| A power is repeated multiplication | 3⁴ means 3 × 3 × 3 × 3, which is 81. |
| Squares and cubes | Exponent 2 squares a number, and exponent 3 cubes it. 7² = 49 and 5³ = 125. |
| Powers of 10 | 10 to a power is a 1 followed by zeros. 10² = 100, 10³ = 1,000 and 10⁴ = 10,000. |
| Do the power first | In 4 × 3², square before you multiply: 3² = 9, then 4 × 9 = 36. |
| The exponent stays with its base | 4 × 3² is not (4 × 3)². The exponent applies only to the 3. |
Worked example
Find 4 × 3².
- 1The exponent applies only to the 3, so find 3² first.
- 23² = 3 × 3 = 9.
- 3Then multiply: 4 × 9 = 36.
Ready-made versions
Three fixed versions you can link to or share. Each is a PDF with its own answer key.
- 6th Grade Whole-Number Exponents Worksheets, version 1Worksheet PDFAnswer key PDF
- 6th Grade Whole-Number Exponents Worksheets, version 2Worksheet PDFAnswer key PDF
- 6th Grade Whole-Number Exponents Worksheets, version 3Worksheet PDFAnswer key PDF
Grade level and standard
Written for 6th grade math (expressions and equations) and aligned to CCSS 6.EE.A.1. It also works as review in later grades.
Common questions
- Is there an answer key?
- Yes. Every worksheet has a matching answer key with each answer worked on the same grid or layout as the question. The worksheet code printed at the bottom of each page pairs a sheet with its key.
- Is 10³ the same as 10 × 3?
- No. 10³ means 10 × 10 × 10, which is 1,000. The exponent says how many times to use 10 as a factor. 10 × 3 is 30.
- Why is 4 × 3² equal to 36 and not 144?
- The exponent applies only to the 3. Square first, then multiply: 3² = 9 and 4 × 9 = 36. 144 would be (4 × 3)², which groups the multiplication first.
- How many different versions are there?
- About a million per skill. Each time you press the button the problems are generated fresh, so you can print a different version for every student, a retake, or another night of practice.
- Are the worksheets free?
- Yes. They are free to print and copy for your home or classroom, with no sign-up.
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