The Scientific Notation Calculator converts numbers to scientific, E- and engineering notation and adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides numbers written in scientific notation.
| Scientific notation | 1.568938 × 10^6 |
| E-notation | 1.568938e+6 |
| Engineering notation | 1.568938 × 10^6 |
| Real number | 1,568,938 |
| X + Y | 1.2300345 × 10^7 |
| X − Y | 1.2299655 × 10^7 |
| X × Y | 4.2435 × 10^9 |
| X ÷ Y | 3.56521739130434798426 × 10^4 |
| X^Y | Infinity |
| √X | 3.50713558335003654065 × 10^3 |
| X² | 1.5129 × 10^14 |
Scientific notation writes a number as a × 10ⁿ, where 1 ≤ |a| < 10 and n is a whole number. It makes very large and very small numbers readable: the speed of light is 2.998 × 10⁸ m/s; a hydrogen atom is about 1.2 × 10⁻¹⁰ m across.
Move the decimal point until one non-zero digit is left of it and count the moves: 1,568,938 → 1.568938 × 10⁶. Moving left gives a positive exponent, moving right (small numbers) a negative one. E-notation writes the same as 1.568938e6. Engineering notation uses exponents that are multiples of 3, matching kilo, mega, micro and so on.
Multiply: multiply the coefficients and add the exponents. Divide: divide coefficients and subtract exponents. Add or subtract: first rewrite with the same exponent. Example: (1.23 × 10⁷) × (3.45 × 10²) = 4.2435 × 10⁹.
What are significant figures? The digits in the coefficient.
Is 12 × 10³ proper notation? No; it should be 1.2 × 10⁴.
How do calculators show it? Usually with E, like 1.2E4.