Scientific Notation Calculator
Convert numbers to and from scientific notation and calculate basic operations.
Convert a number
Enter a number to format it as a coefficient multiplied by a power of ten. Scientific notation is useful when values are very large or very small and ordinary decimal notation becomes difficult to read.
Scientific notation rule
Write a number as a × 10^n where the absolute value of a is at least 1 and less than 10. The exponent records how far the decimal point moved. A positive exponent represents a large value and a negative exponent represents a small value.
Worked example
123000 becomes 1.23 × 10^5. A small value such as 0.0012 becomes 1.2 × 10^-3. Keep significant figures consistent with the precision of the source measurement.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Online Calculators
Does scientific notation change the value?
No. It changes the representation while preserving the numeric value.
What does a negative exponent mean?
It means the decimal value is less than one when the coefficient is positive.
Can I use this for unit conversion?
It can format the number, but unit conversion still requires the correct unit factor.