Scientific Notation Calculator

Scientific notation writes a number as a value between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten, such as 4.5 × 10⁻⁵. It makes very large and very small numbers easy to read and compare. This calculator converts exactly in both directions and also gives engineering notation and E notation.

Type a normal number or one in scientific notation.
Try:

How to use the scientific notation calculator

  1. Type a number, such as 0.000045 or 602000000.
  2. Or type it in scientific notation, such as 6.02e23.
  3. Press Calculate to see every form.

Formula

a×10n,1≤∣a∣<10a \times 10^{n},\quad 1 \le |a| < 10

Worked example: 0.000045

  • Number: 0.000045

✓ Answer checked

4.5×10−54.5 \times 10^{-5}
Standard form (ordinary number)
0.0000450.000045
Engineering notation
45×10−645 \times 10^{-6}
E notation
4.5e-5
Step-by-step working (2 steps)

  1. Place the decimal point

    Move the point so exactly one non-zero digit is in front of it.

    4.54.5

  2. Count the moves a × 10ⁿ, 1 ≤ |a| < 10

    The point moved 5 places to the right, so the power is -5.

    10−510^{-5}
Formulas used
a×10n,1≤∣a∣<10a \times 10^{n},\quad 1 \le |a| < 10
How this was checked
  • ✓ The mantissa is between 1 and 10, and multiplying back by the power of 10 gives the original number exactly.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write 0.000045 in scientific notation?

Move the decimal point 5 places right to get 4.5, so it is 4.5 × 10⁻⁵.

What is standard form?

In the UK, standard form means scientific notation. In the US, standard form often means an ordinary written number.

What is engineering notation?

Like scientific notation, but the power of ten is always a multiple of 3, matching prefixes like kilo and micro.

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