Number formats

Scientific Notation Converter

Type a number like 0.000045, 6.02e23 or 3.1 × 10^-4 and see it in scientific notation, E notation, engineering notation with an SI prefix, and full decimal form, converted exactly without rounding errors.

-
FormatValue
Batch convert
InputScientificE notationDecimal

Commas and spaces are treated as thousands separators. Trailing zeros in a whole number, such as 1200, are treated as not significant unless you add a decimal point (1200.).

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to any server.

Why use this converter

Exact

Digits are moved as text, so 0.1 never turns into 0.1000000000000000055.

Every format

Scientific, E, engineering and plain decimal at once.

Batch mode

Convert a whole column of numbers in one go.

How to convert to scientific notation

  1. Type the numberDecimal, E notation or × 10^ form all work.
  2. Pick significant figuresKeep every digit or round to the precision you need.
  3. Copy the formatCopy scientific, E, engineering or decimal form.

Scientific, E and engineering notation

Scientific notation writes a number as a coefficient between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten, such as 4.508 × 10⁻⁵. Move the decimal point until one non-zero digit is left of it, and count the moves: moves to the left give a positive exponent, moves to the right a negative one.

E notation is the same idea written for calculators, spreadsheets and code, such as 4.508e-5. Engineering notation restricts the exponent to multiples of three so it lines up with SI prefixes, such as 45.08 × 10⁻⁶, which is 45.08 micro.

Large numbers

93,000,000 = 9.3 × 10⁷.

Small numbers

0.00045 = 4.5 × 10⁻⁴.

SI prefixes

10³ kilo, 10⁻⁶ micro, 10⁹ giga and so on.

Scientific notation FAQ

How do I write a number in scientific notation?

Move the decimal point so that one non-zero digit is in front of it, then multiply by 10 to the number of places you moved: 52,000 becomes 5.2 × 10⁴.

What does E mean in a number like 3E8?

E stands for "times ten to the power of", so 3E8 is 3 × 10⁸ = 300,000,000.

What is the difference between scientific and engineering notation?

Engineering notation uses exponents that are multiples of 3, matching prefixes like kilo, mega and micro, so the coefficient can be from 1 to 999.

Why does 1200 show 2 significant figures?

Trailing zeros in a whole number without a decimal point are ambiguous. Write 1200. or 1.200e3 if they are significant.

Is the conversion exact?

Yes. The digits are handled as text, not floating-point numbers, so there are no rounding errors unless you choose to round.

Try other math tools

More free tools from My Panda Toolbox.

SIGSignificant Figures CalculatorCount and round. logLogarithm CalculatorLogs in any base. UNITUnit ConverterConvert units. BYTEData Storage Unit ConverterKB, MB, GB.