Scientific Notation Converter
Convert any number to and from scientific notation, plus engineering notation with the matching metric prefix (k, M, µ and more).
This is normalized scientific notation: exactly one non-zero digit before the point, so the number in front is at least 1 and less than 10. 12.3e3 is also scientific notation, but not normalized: the same number normalized is 1.23e4.
Zeros written after a decimal point count, so they are kept: 0.005600 is 5.600e-3. Zeros at the end of a whole number do not — 1200 is 1.2e3 — so write 1200. to keep them.
Significant figures as written: 4 · Order of magnitude: 3 (the power of ten in normalized notation)
Calculate with two numbers
Either number can be written in any form the converter above reads — scientific, E notation, × 10^ or plain decimal.
Decimal ↔ scientific, and engineering notation
Type a plain decimal number and see it rewritten in scientific notation, or type scientific notation and see the plain decimal value — both fields stay in sync as you type. Scientific notation writes a number as a mantissa between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten, so 1234 becomes 1.234e3 (meaning 1.234 × 10³) and 0.0005 becomes 5e-4. That is the normalized form, which is what the scientific row always shows: exactly one non-zero digit before the point. 12.3e3 is scientific notation too, but not normalized — normalized, it is 1.23e4. The converter also shows engineering notation, a variant where the exponent is always a multiple of three (so 12345 becomes 12.345e3), which lines up neatly with metric prefixes like kilo, mega and micro — and the tool shows that prefixed form directly, so 12345 reads as 12.345 k and 0.000123 as 123 µ. It handles zero, negative numbers and very large or very small values without losing precision, and Clear empties every box on the page at once. Under the notation box, “Examples” works three numbers through both forms — a large one, one in the hundreds and a small decimal — and pressing one loads it.
How to read the e-notation
The letter e stands for "times ten to the power of", so 6.022e23 means 6.022 × 10²³ and 9.11e-31 means 9.11 × 10⁻³¹. A positive exponent shifts the decimal point to the right (a bigger number), while a negative exponent shifts it to the left (a smaller number). When entering scientific notation you can use the compact e form (1.23e4), an uppercase E (1.23E4), or a written-out style like 1.23 × 10^4 — the tool understands all of them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between scientific and engineering notation?
Both express a number as a value times a power of ten. Scientific notation keeps the mantissa between 1 and 10, so 12345 is 1.2345e4. Engineering notation forces the exponent to be a multiple of three so it matches metric prefixes, so the same number is 12.345e3, which reads naturally as 12.345 thousand.
How do I type a very small number like 0.00000123?
Just type 0.00000123 into the decimal field and the scientific field will show 1.23e-6. You can also type it the other way around: enter 1.23e-6 in the scientific field and the decimal value appears automatically.
Can I add or multiply numbers in scientific notation?
Yes. The calculator adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides two numbers written in scientific notation, working on the digits exactly rather than in floating point; a quotient that never ends is rounded, and the page says so. Every notation box is editable, so any of them can be the input.
What is normalized scientific notation?
The form with exactly one non-zero digit before the point, so the number in front is at least 1 and less than 10. 12.3e3 is scientific notation too, but not normalized — normalized, it is 1.23e4, which is what the scientific row always shows, and the page says so under it.
Are there examples to see how the conversion works?
Yes. Under the notation box, “Examples” writes out three numbers — a large one, one in the hundreds and a small decimal — as a power of ten and in e-notation, each worked by the same code as the converter, and pressing one loads it into the boxes.