Scientific Notation Converter
Convert ordinary decimal numbers into scientific notation, standard form, E-notation and engineering notation. Convert back to decimal form, control significant figures, compare powers of ten and view worked steps.
Converter
Enter a large or small number, such as 4500000 or 0.00072.
The number before ×10.
The exponent n in 10ⁿ.
Second value
Compare two scientific notation values.
Operation settings
Multiply or divide two numbers in scientific notation.
Display settings
Quick examples
Load common standard form conversions instantly.
Worked steps
Equivalent forms
Powers of ten reference table
| Power | Decimal value | Name/meaning |
|---|
How scientific notation works
Scientific notation writes a number as a coefficient multiplied by a power of 10. The coefficient is usually at least 1 and less than 10.
Large numbers use positive exponents because the decimal point moves to the left. Small numbers between 0 and 1 use negative exponents because the decimal point moves to the right.
Engineering notation is similar, but the exponent is always a multiple of 3. This is useful for metric prefixes such as kilo, mega, micro and nano.
Common uses
Science and engineering
Write very large or very small measurements clearly, such as distances, masses, charges and concentrations.
Calculators and spreadsheets
E-notation such as 4.5E6 is commonly used in digital tools and programming.
Significant figures
Round answers to the correct number of meaningful digits without losing the scale of the value.
Comparing magnitudes
Quickly compare values by looking at their powers of ten.