Scientific Notation Converter
Convert numbers to and from scientific notation. Supports very large and very small numbers.
Standard → Scientific
Scientific → Standard
Examples
About this calculator
Write very large or very small numbers compactly as a coefficient between 1 and 10 times a power of ten. Enter a standard number to get scientific and E notation, or enter a coefficient and exponent to get the full number.
The page includes handy reference values such as the speed of light (3 × 10⁸ m/s), the mass of the electron (9.109 × 10⁻³¹ kg) and Avogadro's number (6.022 × 10²³).
How to use it
- Type a Standard Number to see its scientific form.
- Or enter a coefficient and an exponent to get the standard number.
- Read the result.
Format
A number in scientific notation is a × 10ⁿ with 1 ≤ |a| < 10. Move the decimal point until one non-zero digit is before it; the number of places moved is n, positive for large numbers and negative for numbers below 1. E notation writes the same thing as aEn, for example 1.23456e5.
Worked example
Examples
| 123,456 | 1.23456 × 10⁵ (1.23456e5) |
| 0.00042 | 4.2 × 10⁻⁴ |
| 6,022 × 10²⁰ | 6.022 × 10²³ |
| 300,000,000 m/s | 3 × 10⁸ m/s |
Tips and common mistakes
- Count the places the decimal moves: left is positive, right is negative.
- Calculators show scientific notation as E or e: 1.5E6 means 1.5 × 10⁶.
- When multiplying, multiply the coefficients and add the exponents.
- When dividing, divide the coefficients and subtract the exponents.
- Keep the right number of significant figures.
Frequently asked questions
What is scientific notation?
A way of writing numbers as a coefficient between 1 and 10 times a power of ten.
How do I convert 0.00042?
Move the decimal four places right to get 4.2 × 10⁻⁴.
What does 1E6 mean?
1 × 10⁶ = 1,000,000.
Why use scientific notation?
It makes huge and tiny numbers easy to read and compare.
What is the coefficient?
The number between 1 and 10 in front of the power of ten.
How do I multiply numbers in scientific notation?
Multiply the coefficients and add the exponents.