Scientific Notation Calculator
Free scientific notation calculator and SI prefix converter — Convert numbers to and from scientific notation instantly, and convert between metric SI prefixes like femto, pico, nano, micro, milli, kilo, mega, giga, tera, and peta. Essential tool for science, engineering, and physics students.
Scientific Notation
3.5 × 10⁴
Scientific Notation
3.5e4
Scientific E Notation
35 × 10³
Engineering Notation
thousand; prefix kilo- (k)
3.5 × 10⁴
Standard Form
4
Order of Magnitude
for scientific and standard forms
35,000
Real Number
thirty-five thousand
Word Form
Try a Famous Constant
Small SI Prefixes
Large SI Prefixes & Base
Famous Scientific & Mathematical Constants
Scientific notation shines when expressing the fundamental constants of nature and mathematics. Click any constant below to instantly convert it in the calculator above.
Fundamental Physical Constants
These constants are the bedrock of modern physics, appearing in equations from general relativity to quantum mechanics.
Mathematical Constants
Unlike physical constants, these are pure numbers derived from mathematical relationships.
Other Important Constants
Additional constants used across chemistry, electrodynamics, and thermodynamics.
Complete Guide to Scientific Notation
Convert a number to and from scientific notation, E notation, engineering notation, and standard form. Enter any number or decimal and the calculator instantly converts to scientific notation, E notation, engineering notation, standard form, and word form formats.
To enter a number in scientific notation, use a carat (^) to indicate powers of 10. You can also enter numbers in E notation. Examples: 3.45 × 10^5 or 3.45e5.
Order of Magnitude
The order of magnitude of a number written in standard form is the nth power of 10. For example, 3.4 × 10⁵ has an order of magnitude of 5 since 10 is raised to the 5th power. This helps you quickly compare the relative size of numbers—a number with magnitude 8 is roughly 1,000 times larger than one with magnitude 5.
How to Convert a Number to Scientific Notation
The proper format for scientific notation is a × 10^b where 'a' is a decimal number such that the absolute value of a is greater than or equal to one and less than ten (1 ≤ |a| < 10), and 'b' is the power of 10 required so that the expression equals the original number.
- Move the decimal point in your number until there is only one non-zero digit to the left of the decimal point. The resulting decimal number is a.
- Count how many places you moved the decimal point. This number is b.
- If you moved the decimal to the left, b is positive.
If you moved the decimal to the right, b is negative.
If you did not need to move the decimal, b = 0. - Write your scientific notation number as a × 10^b and read it as "a times 10 to the power of b."
- Remove trailing zeros only if they were originally to the left of the decimal point.
Example: Convert 357,096 to Scientific Notation
- Move the decimal 5 places to the left to get 3.57096
- a = 3.57096
- We moved the decimal to the left, so b is positive → b = 5
Example: Convert 0.005600 to Scientific Notation
- Move the decimal 3 places to the right and remove leading zeros to get 5.600
- a = 5.600
- We moved the decimal to the right, so b is negative → b = −3
Note: we do not remove the trailing zeros because they were originally to the right of the decimal and are therefore significant figures.
What is E Notation?
E notation is essentially the same as scientific notation except the letter 'e' is substituted for '× 10^'. For example, 3.57096 × 10⁵ becomes 3.57096e5. This format is used in calculators, programming languages (Python, JavaScript, C++), and spreadsheets where superscript is unavailable.
Notation Equivalents Table
| Standard Notation | Scientific Notation | E Notation | Word Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| 357,096 | 3.57096 × 10⁵ | 3.57096E+5 | ≈ 357 thousand |
| 124.7 | 1.247 × 10² | 1.247E+2 | ≈ 125 |
| 0.005600 | 5.600 × 10⁻³ | 5.600E-3 | ≈ 5.6 thousandths |
| 0.00098 | 9.8 × 10⁻⁴ | 9.8E-4 | ≈ 1 ten-thousandth |
Convert Scientific Notation to a Real Number
Multiply the decimal number by 10 raised to the power indicated.
Engineering Notation
Engineering notation is a version of scientific notation where the exponent is always a multiple of 3 (matching SI prefixes like kilo, mega, giga, milli, micro, nano). For example, 34,560 becomes 34.56 × 10³ in engineering notation rather than 3.456 × 10⁴ in scientific notation. This makes it easy to read values alongside SI units.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scientific notation is a way of writing very large or very small numbers as a coefficient between 1 and 10, multiplied by a power of 10. For example, 300,000,000 becomes 3 × 10⁸. It is widely used in science, engineering, and mathematics because it makes calculations with extreme values much simpler and reduces the chance of errors when counting zeros.
The notation 'e-4' (or 'E-4') is the computer shorthand for × 10⁻⁴, which equals 0.0001. So 5.2e-4 means 5.2 × 10⁻⁴ = 0.00052. This format is commonly used in calculators, programming languages, and spreadsheets because superscripts are not available in plain text.
A negative exponent means the decimal point moves to the left. For instance, 10⁻³ = 0.001. So 4.7 × 10⁻³ = 0.0047. The more negative the exponent, the smaller the number. Our calculator handles negative exponents automatically—just enter any small decimal and it will display the correct scientific notation with the negative power of 10.
SI (International System of Units) prefixes are standardized names for specific powers of 10. For example, 'kilo' means 10³ (1,000), 'milli' means 10⁻³ (0.001), and 'nano' means 10⁻⁹ (0.000000001). They let you express measurements concisely—3,500 meters becomes 3.5 kilometers. Each prefix directly corresponds to a power of 10 in scientific notation.
To convert between prefixes, multiply or divide by the power of 10 difference. For example, 1 milliamp (mA) = 1,000 microamps (μA) because milli (10⁻³) is 1,000 times larger than micro (10⁻⁶). Use our SI Prefix Converter mode above—select your 'from' and 'to' prefixes, enter a value, and the result updates instantly.
Mega (M) represents 10⁶ = 1,000,000 (one million), while giga (G) represents 10⁹ = 1,000,000,000 (one billion). Giga is exactly 1,000 times larger than mega. Common examples: a 2.4 GHz processor runs at 2,400 MHz, and a 500 MB file is 0.5 GB.
These ultra-small prefixes are used in science and engineering: femto (10⁻¹⁵) appears in femtoseconds for laser pulse measurements, pico (10⁻¹²) is used in picofarads for capacitor values in electronics, and nano (10⁻⁹) is used in nanometers for semiconductor chip sizes and wavelengths of light.
Step 1: Move the decimal point until you have a number between 1 and 10 (the coefficient). Step 2: Count how many places you moved—this is your exponent. Step 3: If you moved left, the exponent is positive; if you moved right, it is negative. Example: 0.00042 → move the decimal 4 places right → 4.2 × 10⁻⁴.
How to use Scientific Notation Calculator
Simply enter the values in the input fields provided above. Results will update automatically as you type, allowing for instant calculations and side-by-side comparisons.
Our calculators use high-precision mathematical engines to ensure that even the smallest decimal movements are captured accurately.
If you're using this tool on a mobile device, the layout will automatically adjust for touch-friendly interaction. You can save this page to your home screen for quick access.