Convert A Number To Scientific Notation

Related Topics:
More Lessons for Arithmetic
Math Worksheets



 

How to Convert A Number To Scientific Notation?

Very large or very small numbers are usually written in scientific notation :

A × 10ⁿ where 1 ≤ |A| < 10 and n is an integer.

Example:

2 350 000 = 2.35 × 10⁶

0.000 875 4 = 8.754 × 10^–4

The following figures show how to convert decimals to scientific notation. Scroll down the page for more examples and solutions.

To convert a number into scientific notation:

Method 1

Rewrite the number as a product of a number A such that 1 ≤ |A| < 10 and a power of 10.

Example:

64 000 = 6.4 × 10 000
= 6.4 × 10⁴

Method 2

Step 1 : Shift the decimal point of the number A to the left or to the right until 1 ≤ |A| < 10

Step 2 : Count the number of places that the decimal point has moved. The count would be the index n. If the decimal point was moved to the left then n is positive. If the decimal point was moved to the right then n is negative.

Example:

Example:

Write each of the following numbers in scientific notation:

a) 734 000         b) 0.00685

Solution:

a) 734 000 = 7.34 × 10 000 = 7.34 × 10⁵

or

b) 0.00685 = 6.85 × = 6.85 × 10^-3

or

The following video shows more examples of converting numbers to scientific notation Learn how to convert in and out of scientific notation in these step by step examples

• Show Step-by-step Solutions

Rotate to landscape screen format on a mobile phone or small tablet to use the Mathway widget, a free math problem solver that answers your questions with step-by-step explanations.

You can use the free Mathway calculator and problem solver below to practice Algebra or other math topics. Try the given examples, or type in your own problem and check your answer with the step-by-step explanations.

We welcome your feedback, comments and questions about this site or page. Please submit your feedback or enquiries via our Feedback page.

[?] Subscribe To This Site