About this tool
Converts numbers to scientific notation and shows the mantissa (the decimal part) and the exponent (the power of 10) separately. Useful for representing very large or very small numbers compactly, as in physics, chemistry, engineering, or astronomy, where values like 6.022 × 10^23 or 1.6 × 10^-19 appear frequently.
How to use
- Enter the number in the input field.
- The scientific notation appears automatically, with mantissa and exponent.
- Works both ways: enter a scientific notation value and it shows the decimal.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the mantissa?
- The decimal part of the number, usually between 1 and 10 (exclusive). For example, in 3.5 × 10^4, the mantissa is 3.5. This convention (mantissa greater than or equal to 1 and less than 10) is called normalised scientific notation and is the standard form.
- What is scientific notation good for?
- Making numbers with many zeros readable. "6.02 × 10^23" is easier to read and compare than "602000000000000000000000". It also simplifies multiplications and divisions: exponents are added or subtracted, and mantissas are multiplied separately.
- How many decimal places are shown?
- By default, all significant digits of the original number. If your number is 1234.5, the mantissa will be 1.2345. For numbers with many decimals you may need to round the result manually depending on the precision you want.