Scientific Notation Converter
Write very large or very small numbers in scientific notation, E notation or engineering notation — without losing a single digit.
Result
Enter your values and select Calculate to see the result.
How to use this calculator
- Enter a number as a decimal (0.000123), a large number (45,600,000) or in E notation (6.02e23).
- Optionally enter a number of significant figures to round to.
- The result shows every notation plus the full decimal form.
Formula
Scientific notation writes a number as a × 10ⁿ, where 1 ≤ |a| < 10 and n is a whole number.
Engineering notation uses exponents that are multiples of 3 (matching kilo, mega, milli, micro), so 1 ≤ |a| < 1000.
The converter works on the digits as text rather than as a floating-point value, so no precision is lost.
Worked example
A small number
0.000123 = 1.23 × 10⁻⁴ (E notation 1.23e-4). The decimal point moved 4 places right.
A large number
45,600,000 = 4.56 × 10⁷, or 45.6 × 10⁶ in engineering notation.
Assumptions and limitations
- Trailing zeros in whole numbers (such as 1,500) are treated as not significant unless the number contains a decimal point (1,500.0).
- The full decimal form is shown for exponents between −60 and 60.
Frequently asked questions
What does 6.02e23 mean?
It is E notation for 6.02 × 10²³. Calculators and programming languages use “e” to mean “times ten to the power of”.
How many significant figures does 0.00450 have?
Three: 4, 5 and the final 0. Leading zeros are never significant; trailing zeros after a decimal point are.