How it works
Scientific notation writes a nonzero number as a coefficient from 1 up to 10 multiplied by a power of ten. The exponent counts how far the decimal point moves.
Standard formula
value = coefficient × 10^exponentWorked example
123,000 becomes 1.23 × 10^5 because the decimal point moves five places left.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the input be negative?
Yes. The sign stays in the coefficient while the exponent describes the magnitude.
What is the exponent for a small number?
It is negative when the decimal point moves to the right, such as 0.0012 = 1.2 × 10^-3.
What happens with zero?
Zero has no single normalized scientific-notation exponent, so it is shown as zero.
Is scientific notation useful?
Yes. It makes very large and very small measurements easier to read and compare.