Scientific Notation Converter
Convert numbers to and from scientific notation, E notation and engineering notation, and count significant figures.
What is scientific notation?
Scientific notation writes a number as a value between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten. It makes very large and very small numbers easy to read and compare.
a × 10ⁿ, where 1 ≤ |a| < 10
0.000452 = 4.52 × 10⁻⁴ (the decimal moves 4 places right). 602,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 = 6.02 × 10²³.
Converting by hand
- Move the decimal point until exactly one non-zero digit is to its left.
- Count how many places you moved it. That is the exponent.
- Moving left gives a positive exponent (large numbers); moving right gives a negative exponent (small numbers).
E notation and engineering notation
E notation is how calculators and programming languages write scientific notation: 4.52e-4 means 4.52 × 10⁻⁴. Engineering notation uses only exponents that are multiples of 3, matching metric prefixes: 452 × 10⁻⁶ corresponds to 452 micro-units, and 45.2 × 10³ to 45.2 kilo-units.
Significant figures
Scientific notation makes significant figures clear. 4.520 × 10⁻⁴ has four significant figures, while 4.52 × 10⁻⁴ has three. The trailing zero signals extra precision in the measurement.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write 0.0005 in scientific notation?
5 × 10⁻⁴. The decimal point moves four places to the right.
What does e mean in a number like 3e8?
It means "times ten to the power of". 3e8 = 3 × 10⁸ = 300,000,000.
What is the difference between scientific and engineering notation?
Engineering notation restricts the exponent to multiples of 3 so values line up with metric prefixes like kilo, mega and micro.
Last reviewed Oct 20, 2026. Results are estimates; check important decisions with a qualified professional.