Scientific Notation Calculator
Provide a number below to get its scientific notation, E-notation, engineering notation, and real number format. It accepts numbers in the following formats 3672.2, 2.3e11, or 3.5x10^-12.
Scientific Notation Calculator
Use the calculator below to perform calculations using scientific notation.
Result
Scientific notation calculations
For 2 number x1 and x2:
x1 = a1 × 10b1
x2 = a2 × 10b2
Scientific notations addition
x1 + x2 = a1 × 10b1 + a2 × 10b2
Scientific notations subtraction
x1 - x2 = a1 × 10b1 - a2 × 10b2
Scientific notations multiplication
x1 × x2 = a1a2 × 10b1+b2
Scientific notations division
x1 / x2 = (a1/a2) × 10b1-b2
Scientific notation
Scientific notation is a way to express numbers in a form that makes numbers that are too small or too large more convenient to write. It is commonly used in mathematics, engineering, and science, as it can help simplify arithmetic operations. In scientific notation, numbers are written as a base, b, referred to as the significand, multiplied by 10 raised to an integer exponent, n, which is referred to as the order of magnitude:
b × 10n
Below are some examples of numbers written in decimal notation compared to scientific notation:
| Decimal notation | Scientific notation |
| 5 | 5 × 100 |
| 700 | 7 × 102 |
| 1,000,000 | 1 × 106 |
| 0.0004212 | 4.212 × 10-4 |
| -5,000,000,000 | -5 × 109 |
Engineering notation
Engineering notation is similar to scientific notation except that the exponent, n, is restricted to multiples of 3 such as: 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, -3, -6, etc. This is so that the numbers align with SI prefixes and can be read as such. For example, 103 would have the kilo prefix, 106 would have the mega prefix, and 109 would have the giga prefix. Note that the decimal place of the number can be moved to convert scientific notation into engineering notation. For example:
1.234 × 108 (scientific notation)
can be converted to:
123.4 × 106 (engineering notation)
E-notation
E-notation is almost the same as scientific notation except that the "× 10" in scientific notation is replaced with just "E." It is used in cases where the exponent cannot be conveniently displayed. It is written as:
bEn
where b is the base, E indicates "x 10" and the n is written after the E. Below is a comparison of scientific notation and E-notation:
| Scientific notation | E-notation |
| 5 × 100 | 5E0 |
| 7 × 102 | 7E2 |
| 1 × 106 | 1E6 |
| 4.212 × 10-4 | 4.212E-4 |
| -5 × 109 | -5E9 |
The "E" can also be written as "e" which is what is used by this calculator. It can also be written in other ways depending on the context, such as being represented differently in different programming languages.