Scientific Notation Calculator
Convert a number between standard decimal form and scientific notation (a × 10^b), in either direction.
- Free to use
- Accurate results
- No registration required
- Works on all devices
Enter a number and choose a direction to convert between standard decimal form and scientific notation.
Enter a plain decimal number (e.g. 250000), or scientific notation like 2.5e5, depending on the direction chosen below.
Your result
2.5 × 10^5
Result
AI explanation
Formula
a × 10^b, where a is the mantissa (1 ≤ |a| < 10) and b is the exponentWorked example
250,000 to scientific notation
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Value | 250000 |
| Convert | to-scientific |
| Result | 2.5 × 10^5 |
Assumptions
- When converting to scientific notation, the mantissa is always between 1 and 10 in absolute value (or exactly 0 for the value zero).
- When entering scientific notation to convert from, use a format like 1.5e10 or 1.5e-10.
Frequently asked questions
What is scientific notation?
It's a way of writing very large or very small numbers compactly, as a number between 1 and 10 (the mantissa) multiplied by a power of 10 — for example, 250,000 is 2.5 × 10^5.
Why use scientific notation?
It makes extremely large or small numbers (like distances in astronomy or sizes in chemistry) much easier to read and compare than writing out all the digits or zeros.
How do I type scientific notation to convert it back?
Use the "e" notation format, like 1.5e10 (meaning 1.5 × 10^10) or 1.5e-10 (meaning 1.5 × 10^-10) — this is the standard format used by calculators and spreadsheets.