# How to Use POWER() Function in PostgreSQL

> The POWER() or POW() function accepts two numeric values as arguments and retrieves the first value raised to the power of the second value.

PostgreSQL offers a wide range of mathematical functions to work with numeric data, such as ABS(), MOD(), ROUND(), etc. The **POWER()** function is one of the mathematical functions used to calculate a number's power. In Postgres, the POWER() function can also be used as POW().

This write-up will teach you the basic syntax, working, and implementation of the Postgres POWER() function. So, let’s begin!

 **How to Use the POWER() Function in PostgreSQL?**

The POWER() or POW() function accepts two numeric values as arguments and retrieves the first value/argument raised to the power of the second value/argument:
    
    
    POWER(val_1, val_2);

val_1 and val_2 represent any numeric/double precision values.

 **Example 1: Find the Square of a Value Using the POWER() Function**

The following example will show you how the POWER() function works in Postgres:
    
    
    SELECT POWER(12, 2);

The output snippet proves that the POWER() function retrieves the accurate result (i.e., 12 * 12 = 144).

 **Example 2: Find the Cube of a Number Using the POWER() Function**

Let’s learn how to find the cube of a number using the Postgres POWER() function:
    
    
    SELECT POWER(5, 3);

The output snippet shows that the POWER() function retrieves the appropriate result (i.e., 5 * 5 * 5 = 125).

 **Example 3: Find Power of a Fractional Point Value Using the POWER() Function**

Let’s pass a fractional point value to the POWER function and see how the POWER() works in such a situation:
    
    
    SELECT POWER(12.14, 3);

The output shows that the POWER() function retrieves the accurate value.

 **Example 4: How to Use POWER() Function on Negative Values?**

In this example, we will use all three possibilities to use a negative value in POWER function:
    
    
    SELECT POWER(-5, 5), 
    POWER(-5, -5), 
    POWER(5, -5);

This is how the POWER() function works on negative values.

 **Example 5: Calculate the Power of Large Values**

Let’s execute the following command to see how the POWER() function works on large values:
    
    
    SELECT POWER(500, 12);

This way, the POWER() function deals with the large values.

 **Example 6: How to Use POWER() Function on Table’s Data?**

We have created a table named find_power, whose data is shown in the following snippet:

The find_power table contains various values. The below-provided table will show you an in-depth understanding of the POWER() function:
    
    
    SELECT val_1, val_2, POWER(val_1, val_2)
    FROM find_power;

This is how the POWER() function works on the table’s data.

 **Conclusion**

The POWER() or POW() function accepts two numeric values as arguments and retrieves the first value/argument raised to the power of the second value/argument. The POWER() function can calculate the power of any number, i.e., positive, negative, fractional, etc. This write-up explains Postgres’ POWER() function with practical examples.

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