How it works
Scientific notation writes a number as a coefficient between 1 and 10 times a power of 10. 123,456 becomes 1.23456 × 105 and 0.00042 becomes 4.2 × 10−4.
E notation is the same thing in calculator and spreadsheet form (1.23456e5). Engineering notation restricts the exponent to multiples of 3 so it lines up with metric prefixes like kilo (103) and micro (10−6).
The conversion works on the digits you type, so it is exact even for very large or very small numbers. Trailing zeros are dropped from the coefficient.
Formula
N = a × 10^n, where 1 ≤ |a| < 10 and n is an integer
Questions people ask
How do I convert a number to scientific notation?
Move the decimal point until one non-zero digit is to its left. Count the moves: moving left gives a positive exponent, moving right gives a negative one. 4,500 = 4.5 × 10³; 0.0045 = 4.5 × 10⁻³.
What does 6.02e23 mean?
It is E notation for 6.02 × 10²³: 602 followed by 21 zeros. The "e" stands for "times ten to the power of".
When is engineering notation used?
In electronics and engineering, where values map to metric prefixes: 47,000 Ω = 47 × 10³ Ω = 47 kΩ.