Enter a number to convert it to scientific notation, with the coefficient and exponent.
Estimates only.
Scientific notation writes a number as a coefficient between 1 and 10 times a power of 10. It is a compact way to express very large or very small numbers.
To convert back, multiply the coefficient by 10 raised to the exponent. A negative exponent means the number is less than 1, such as 4.5 x 10^-4 = 0.00045.
Move the decimal point so one non-zero digit remains to its left, giving a coefficient between 1 and 10. Count the places you moved the decimal: that is the exponent of 10, positive for large numbers and negative for small ones. For example, 123456 = 1.23456 x 10^5.
0.00045 is 4.5 x 10^-4. The decimal moves four places to the right to reach 4.5, so the exponent is negative four.
The coefficient (or mantissa) is the number between 1 and 10 that multiplies the power of 10. In 1.23456 x 10^5, the coefficient is 1.23456.
E notation is how calculators and computers display scientific notation. 1.23456e5 means 1.23456 x 10^5, where the number after E is the exponent.