Scientific Notation Calculator

Convert numbers to and from scientific, E and engineering notation, and add, subtract, multiply or divide them, with the steps.

Calculate

Number

0.000452, 6.02e23, 6.02 × 10^23 or 1,250,000

Significant figures

Scientific notation (UK: standard form)

4.52 × 10⁻⁴

E notation: 4.52E-4
Engineering notation: 452 × 10⁻⁶
With an SI prefix: 452 µ (micro)
Decimal (US: standard form): 0.000452
Order of magnitude: -4

Type a number in any notation to see it in scientific notation, E notation, engineering notation with its SI prefix, and written out in full. The calculator mode adds, subtracts, multiplies, divides or raises numbers in scientific notation and shows the exponent rules step by step.

Numbers are worked exactly, as decimals rather than computer floating point, so 0.1 × 3 is 0.3. Numbers of up to 100 digits and powers of ten up to ±1000 are read exactly.

How to use it

A number can be typed plainly (0.000452 or 1,250,000), in E notation (4.52e-4 or 4.52E-4), or as a power of ten: 4.52 × 10^-4, 4.52x10^-4, 4.52*10^-4 or 4.52 × 10⁻⁴. A bare 10^5 is read as 1 × 10⁵.

Significant figures starts at As typed: the result keeps the digits you entered, so 0.0004520 gives 4.520 × 10⁻⁴. Trailing zeros of a whole number such as 1,250,000 are read as placeholders. Choosing 1 to 30 rounds to that many, halves away from zero. Calculate gives the exact result when it ends within 30 digits, otherwise 10 significant figures, marked ≈.

The decimal is written out for powers of ten up to ±100; past that it is too long to be useful.

How scientific notation works

A number in scientific notation is a × 10ⁿ, where a has one non-zero digit before the point (1 ≤ |a| < 10) and n is a whole number. To normalise, move the point until one digit stands before it, and count the moves: each place to the left adds 1 to n, each place to the right takes 1 away. n is also the number's order of magnitude.

Engineering notation lets a run from 1 to 999 so that n is a multiple of 3, which lines up with the SI prefixes: 452 × 10⁻⁶ is 452 micro (µ). E notation writes × 10ⁿ as En, the way calculators and spreadsheets do.

To multiply, multiply the numbers in front and add the powers; to divide, divide them and subtract the powers. To add or subtract, first rewrite both with the same (the larger) power, then add the numbers in front. Raising to a power raises the number in front and multiplies n. A result outside 1 to 10 is normalised at the end.

(a × 10ᵐ) × (b × 10ⁿ) = (a × b) × 10ᵐ⁺ⁿ

(a × 10ᵐ) ÷ (b × 10ⁿ) = (a ÷ b) × 10ᵐ⁻ⁿ

a × 10ⁿ + b × 10ⁿ = (a + b) × 10ⁿ

(a × 10ⁿ)ᵏ = aᵏ × 10ⁿᵏ

Examples

Converting 0.000452

Under Convert, 0.000452 gives:

Scientific: 4.52 × 10⁻⁴
E notation: 4.52E-4
Engineering: 452 × 10⁻⁶
SI prefix: 452 µ (micro)

Multiplying

Multiply the 3 and 2, and add the powers 4 and −6. With 3 × 10^4 and 2 × 10^-6 under Calculate, the result is 6 × 10⁻²:

Write both numbers in scientific notation. (3 × 10⁴) × (2 × 10⁻⁶)
Multiply the numbers in front. 3 × 2 = 6
Add the powers of ten. 10⁴ × 10⁻⁶ = 10⁻²

Adding with different powers

The smaller number is rewritten over 10² first. With 1.432 × 10^2 and 8 × 10^1 under Calculate, the result is 2.232 × 10²:

Write both numbers in scientific notation. (1.432 × 10²) + (8 × 10¹)
Write both with the larger power of ten, 10². 1.432 × 10² + 0.8 × 10²
Add the numbers in front; the power stays. 1.432 + 0.8 = 2.232

Dividing

Divide the 4.8 by 1.6, and subtract −3 from 5. With 4.8 × 10^5 and 1.6 × 10^-3 under Calculate, the result is 3 × 10⁸:

Write both numbers in scientific notation. (4.8 × 10⁵) ÷ (1.6 × 10⁻³)
Divide the numbers in front. 4.8 ÷ 1.6 = 3
Subtract the powers of ten. 10⁵ ÷ 10⁻³ = 10⁸

A power

Cube the 2 and multiply the power 3 by 3. With 2 × 10^3 and 3 under Calculate, the result is 8 × 10⁹:

Write the number in scientific notation. 2 × 10³
Raise the number in front to the power. 2³ = 8
Multiply the power of ten by it. (10³)³ = 10⁹

SI prefixes

The SI prefixes a thousand apart, with the power of ten each stands for

Prefix	Symbol	Power	E notation
quetta	Q	1 × 10³⁰	1E30
ronna	R	1 × 10²⁷	1E27
yotta	Y	1 × 10²⁴	1E24
zetta	Z	1 × 10²¹	1E21
exa	E	1 × 10¹⁸	1E18
peta	P	1 × 10¹⁵	1E15
tera	T	1 × 10¹²	1E12
giga	G	1 × 10⁹	1E9
mega	M	1 × 10⁶	1E6
kilo	k	1 × 10³	1E3
milli	m	1 × 10⁻³	1E-3
micro	µ	1 × 10⁻⁶	1E-6
nano	n	1 × 10⁻⁹	1E-9
pico	p	1 × 10⁻¹²	1E-12
femto	f	1 × 10⁻¹⁵	1E-15
atto	a	1 × 10⁻¹⁸	1E-18
zepto	z	1 × 10⁻²¹	1E-21
yocto	y	1 × 10⁻²⁴	1E-24
ronto	r	1 × 10⁻²⁷	1E-27
quecto	q	1 × 10⁻³⁰	1E-30

The SI prefixes

The prefixes are those of the International System of Units. Ronna (10²⁷), quetta (10³⁰), ronto (10⁻²⁷) and quecto (10⁻³⁰) were added in 2022. The SI also has hecto (10²), deca (10¹), deci (10⁻¹) and centi (10⁻²), which engineering notation does not use because their powers are not multiples of 3.

Sources

The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition, Table 7: SI prefixes — Bureau International des Poids et Mesures

Reviewed 18 October 2026

Frequently asked questions

It depends on the country. In the UK and much of the Commonwealth, standard form is scientific notation: 4.52 × 10⁻⁴. In the US, standard form is the ordinary decimal, 0.000452, and scientific notation is the other one. The calculator labels both.

The trailing zeros of a whole number may only fill places, so As typed leaves them out. If they were measured, choose the count of significant figures, or type the number as 1.250000 × 10^6.