Scientific Notation Calculator

Scientific notation expresses numbers as coefficient × 10^exponent, where 1 ≤ |coefficient| < 10. Example: 45,000 = 4.5 × 10^4. 0.00045 = 4.5 × 10^-4. Used in science to represent very large (distance to stars) or very small (size of atoms) numbers compactly.

Multiply the coefficients, add the exponents: (3.2 × 10^4) × (2.5 × 10^3) = (3.2 × 2.5) × 10^(4+3) = 8.0 × 10^7. If the new coefficient is not between 1 and 10, adjust: 15 × 10^5 = 1.5 × 10^6.

First make exponents equal: 3.2 × 10^4 + 5.0 × 10^3 = 3.2 × 10^4 + 0.5 × 10^4 = 3.7 × 10^4. Convert to same exponent, add coefficients, adjust if needed.

Speed of light: 3.0 × 10^8 m/s. Electron mass: 9.11 × 10^-31 kg. Distance to sun: 1.496 × 10^11 m. Avogadro number: 6.022 × 10^23 mol^-1. Size of hydrogen atom: 5.3 × 10^-11 m. Age of universe: 1.38 × 10^10 years.

E notation is scientific notation shorthand: 4.5E4 means 4.5 × 10^4 = 45,000. 3.2E-7 means 3.2 × 10^-7 = 0.00000032. Most calculators and programming languages use E notation when numbers are too large or small for standard display.