Scientific Notation Calculator
Convert a number to scientific notation, engineering notation and E notation, or back to a standard number.
Results
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Quick Answer
Scientific notation writes a number as a value from 1 to under 10, multiplied by a power of 10. For example, 45,000 is 4.5 × 10⁴, and 0.0032 is 3.2 × 10⁻³. Move the decimal point until one digit is left before it, and count the moves.
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Table of Contents
How This Scientific Notation Calculator Works
Scientific notation makes very large and very small numbers easier to read. Enter a number, and the calculator shows it in scientific, E and engineering notation, and as a standard number.
Quick explanation: number = a × 10^n, where a is at least 1 and less than 10.
- Positive exponent: a large number.
- Negative exponent: a number smaller than 1.
- E notation: 4.5e+4 means 4.5 × 10⁴.
Core Formulas
- Scientific: a × 10^n, with 1 ≤ |a| < 10
- Engineering: a × 10^n, with n a multiple of 3
- Exponent: the number of places the decimal point moves
Worked Example
Convert 0.00072.
- Move the decimal point 4 places right to get 7.2
- Moving right gives a negative exponent, so n = −4
- Result: 7.2 × 10⁻⁴
- Engineering form: 720 × 10⁻⁶
Common Mistakes
- Leading number too large: 45 × 10³ is not in scientific form. Use 4.5 × 10⁴.
- Wrong exponent sign: numbers below 1 use a negative exponent.
- Dropping digits: keep the significant figures you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Move the decimal point so one non-zero digit is before it, then multiply by 10 to the number of places you moved.
It means 4.5 × 10⁴, which is 45,000.
It is like scientific notation, but the exponent is always a multiple of 3.
Enter it here, such as 4.5e4. A positive exponent moves the decimal right, and a negative one moves it left.
It is simply 0, or 0 × 10⁰.
References & Sources
| Source | Used For | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia, Scientific notation | Scientific, E and engineering notation. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_notation |