Scientific Notation Converter

Convert between standard, scientific and engineering notation.

Scientific notation

2.99792 × 10⁸

2.99792e+8

Standard form

299,792,458

E notation

2.99792e+8

Engineering notation

299.79246 × 10^6

SI prefix

mega (M)

Coefficient

2.99792

Exponent

A number in scientific notation is written as a coefficient between 1 and 10 times a power of ten.

Engineering notation restricts the exponent to multiples of three so it aligns with SI prefixes.
Leading zeros only position the decimal point; a trailing zero after the point is significant.

What does Scientific Notation Converter do?

Convert numbers between standard decimal, scientific notation, E notation and engineering notation, with significant figures controlled and the SI prefix shown where one applies.

How to Use Scientific Notation Converter

1
Enter a numberIn any of the supported notations.
2
Set the significant figuresControls the precision of the output.
3
Read every notationThey all update together.

Key Features

Standard, scientific, E notation and engineering notation together
Significant figures configurable from 1 to 15
SI prefix shown when the exponent matches one
Two-way conversion in either direction
Significant figure count detected from your input

Frequently Asked Questions

What is scientific notation?

A number written as a coefficient between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten. 299,792,458 becomes 2.99792458 × 10⁸, which makes very large and very small values readable and comparable.

How is engineering notation different?

The exponent is restricted to multiples of three, so it lines up with SI prefixes. 47,000 is 4.7 × 10⁴ in scientific notation but 47 × 10³ in engineering — which is 47 kilo.

What is E notation?

The plain-text form used by calculators and programming languages, where 2.5e-3 means 2.5 × 10⁻³. It exists because superscripts cannot be typed on a keyboard.

How do significant figures work?

They count the digits carrying real precision. 0.00340 has three significant figures — leading zeros only position the decimal point, but the trailing zero is meaningful. The converter detects the count from your input.

Runs in your browser

All arithmetic runs in your browser, using exact BigInt maths where whole numbers are involved so nothing is lost to floating-point rounding.

How the rest of the site handles data