Scientific Notation Converter

Convert any number to and from scientific notation, E-notation and expanded form.

Scientific notation
E-notation
Decimal (expanded)
Order of magnitude

Try: 45000 0.00045 6.022e23 299792458

Scientific notation converter

This converter turns ordinary numbers into scientific notation and back again. Enter a very large or very small number — or a number already in E-notation like 4.5e-4 — and it shows the scientific notation form (a × 10ⁿ), the E-notation form used by calculators and computers, the fully expanded decimal, and the order of magnitude.

What is scientific notation?

Scientific notation writes a number as a value between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten. For example, 45,000 becomes 4.5 × 10⁴, and 0.00045 becomes 4.5 × 10⁻⁴. It makes extremely large or small numbers — common in science and engineering — far easier to read, compare, and calculate with.

Reading E-notation

Calculators and programming languages write 4.5 × 10⁴ as 4.5e+4 or 4.5E4, where the number after “e” is the power of ten. A positive exponent means a large number; a negative one means a small fraction. For other number tools, see our scientific calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write a number in standard form?

“Standard form” is the UK name for scientific notation. Move the decimal point so one non-zero digit sits before it, and count how many places you moved to get the power of ten.