Math & Stats

Scientific Notation Calculator

Convert numbers to and from scientific notation. Turn standard decimals into a × 10^b form and E-notation, or expand scientific notation back to standard form.

Scientific Notation Calculator

Conversion direction

Number

Method

How this calculator works

Scientific notation expresses a value as a × 10^b, where 1 ≤ |a| < 10 and b is an integer. E-notation writes the same value as aeb (for example, 1.23e4 = 1.23 × 10⁴ = 12300).

Choose a conversion direction: Standard → Scientific or Scientific → Standard.
Enter your number. For scientific input you can use either 4.5 × 10^3 style or E-notation like 4.5e3.
Click Calculate to see the converted result along with both the a × 10^b form and the E-notation form.

Examples

Worked examples

Real numbers, end-to-end results.

45000 → scientific notation

4.5 × 10⁴ (4.5e4)

Move the decimal 4 places left to leave one digit before it.

6.02e-3 → standard form

0.00602

A negative exponent shifts the decimal point three places to the left.

Use cases

When to use it

Expressing very large or very small measurements compactly.
Entering values into calculators and spreadsheets with E-notation.
Standardizing figures for chemistry, physics, and engineering.
Reading and interpreting scientific data and datasets.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is scientific notation?

Scientific notation writes a number as a coefficient times a power of ten, a × 10^b, where the coefficient a has an absolute value of at least 1 and less than 10. For example, 4,500 becomes 4.5 × 10³.

What is E-notation?

E-notation is the calculator- and computer-friendly way of writing scientific notation. Instead of × 10^b, it uses the letter e followed by the exponent. So 4.5 × 10³ is written as 4.5e3 and 3.2 × 10⁻⁵ is 3.2e-5.

How do I convert a standard number to scientific notation?

Move the decimal point until only one non-zero digit remains to its left. The number of places you moved becomes the exponent — positive if you moved left, negative if you moved right. 0.0072 becomes 7.2 × 10⁻³.

How do I convert scientific notation back to standard form?

Multiply the coefficient by ten raised to the exponent. A positive exponent moves the decimal point right (a larger number); a negative exponent moves it left (a smaller number). 6.02 × 10² expands to 602.

How is zero written in scientific notation?

Zero is a special case because it has no non-zero digit to normalize. It is conventionally written as 0 × 10⁰, or simply 0. This calculator returns 0 for both notations.