Scientific Notation Converter
Turn any number into scientific notation (a × 10ⁿ), E notation and engineering notation, or paste 6.02e23 to get the full number back.
About this tool
Accepts plain numbers (1,234.5), E notation (1.2e-5) and written forms such as 1.2 × 10^5 or 1.2x10^-3. The digits are handled exactly, so nothing is lost to rounding unless you choose significant figures.
Scientific notation writes very large and very small numbers as a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten, such as 4.56 × 10⁻⁴ for 0.000456. Type a number to see it in scientific, E and engineering notation, or paste a value like 6.02e23 to get the full number back. You can also round to a set number of significant figures.
How to use the Scientific Notation Converter
- Type a number, for example 0.000456 or 300000000.
- Or paste scientific notation such as 6.02e23 or 1.2 × 10^5.
- Optionally choose how many significant figures to keep.
- Read the result in scientific, E, engineering and standard form.
Converting 0.000456 and 149,600,000,000
In 0.000456 the decimal point moves 4 places to the right to give 4.56, so the number is 4.56 × 10⁻⁴, written 4.56e-4 in E notation. The average distance from the Earth to the Sun, about 149,600,000,000 m, is 1.50 × 10¹¹ m to 3 significant figures. In engineering notation the power is always a multiple of 3, so 4,700 becomes 4.7 × 10³ and 0.000033 becomes 33 × 10⁻⁶.
Examples
Converted with this tool.
| Number | Scientific notation |
|---|---|
| 300,000,000 | 3 × 10⁸ |
| 0.000456 | 4.56 × 10⁻⁴ |
| 602,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 | 6.02 × 10²³ |
| 0.000000001 | 1 × 10⁻⁹ |
| 4,700 | 4.7 × 10³ |
How scientific notation works
Move the decimal point until one non-zero digit is left in front of it. Count how many places you moved it: that is the power of ten. Moving left gives a positive power (300,000,000 = 3 × 10⁸), and moving right gives a negative one (0.000000001 = 1 × 10⁻⁹). E notation, used by calculators and spreadsheets, writes the same thing as 3e8 or 1e-9. Engineering notation uses powers that are multiples of 3, which line up with prefixes such as kilo (10³), mega (10⁶), milli (10⁻³) and micro (10⁻⁶).
Common mistakes
- Getting the sign of the power the wrong way round. Numbers smaller than 1 have a negative power.
- Leaving more than one digit before the decimal point: 45.6 × 10³ is not scientific notation; write 4.56 × 10⁴.
- Dropping significant zeros. 1.50 × 10¹¹ says the value is known to 3 significant figures; 1.5 × 10¹¹ says only 2.
Frequently asked questions
What is 6.02e23?
E notation for 6.02 × 10²³, which is 602,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
How do I write 0.0005 in scientific notation?
5 × 10⁻⁴. The decimal point moves 4 places to the right.
What is the difference between scientific and engineering notation?
Scientific notation keeps one digit before the decimal point. Engineering notation uses powers of ten that are multiples of 3, so the front number can be from 1 to 999.
Can I type 1.2 × 10^5?
Yes. The tool also accepts 1.2x10^5, 1.2*10^5 and 1.2e5.