About the scientific notation calculator
This free scientific notation calculator converts numbers between ordinary decimal form and scientific notation. In scientific notation, a number is written as a × 10n, where a is a coefficient between 1 and 10 (or −1 and −10 for negative numbers) and n is an integer exponent. For example, 1500 becomes 1.5 × 103 and 0.0023 becomes 2.3 × 10−3. You can choose to convert a decimal to scientific notation or to enter an expression like 1.5 × 10^3 and get the decimal value. No sign-up is required; the tool is mobile-friendly and runs in your browser.
Scientific notation is used throughout science, engineering, and mathematics to handle very large or very small numbers clearly. It makes it easier to compare magnitudes (e.g. 106 vs 10−6) and to see how many significant figures a value has. The calculator uses the standard form: one nonzero digit before the decimal point in the coefficient, then × 10 raised to the appropriate power. When converting from scientific notation to decimal, you can type the expression using × and 10^ (e.g. 1.5 × 10^3 or 2.3 × 10^-4), and the result is shown as an ordinary number.
Use this calculator for homework, lab work, or any time you need to switch between decimal and scientific notation. It helps you check your own conversions and quickly format numbers for reports or further calculations. For related tools, try the significant figures calculator when you need to round results to a given precision, or the rounding calculator for general rounding. This page focuses solely on converting to and from scientific notation.