How do you type a number to the second power?

As mentioned, it does depend on the text editor or word processor you're using, and also if the font selected supports super/subscript.

In Pages (8 to the 4th) is achieved by highlighting the 4 and selecting Format > Font > Baseline > Superscript from the menu bar. The key board shortcut ctrl-cmd-+ (⌃⌘+) will do the same, and may be supported in some other applications.

If that fails in your processor, and character viewer can't supply the required no. (say a decimal is reqd), the workaround is to use the circumflex to indicate the power thus; 8^0.6 where the circumflex is achieved by typing alt+I (letter I) (⌥ I)

System Preferences > Language & Text :

You use superscripts from an editor which supports them.

(58599)

Subscripts and superscripts are in the Character Viewer under "Numbers and Number Symbols" . Line #18 is superscripts and line #19 is the subscript.

I got the free App called Math type 6 lets you do that and more.

I use it for fractional expressions. Its too cool.

paul156 wrote:

I am typing math problems and I cant write v to the fourth power

In TextEdit, for example, you would select the 4 and use Format > Font > Baseline > Superscript

Just to be clear, the Format > Font > Baseline > Superscript method does not depend on the font being used.