Engineering Notation
Convert numbers to and from engineering notation (powers of 10 multiples of 3). Free online engineering notation calculator with SI prefix display for scientists and engineers.
About This Calculator
The Engineering Notation Calculator converts ordinary numbers into engineering notation -- a form of scientific notation where the power of 10 exponent is always a multiple of 3 (..., 10⁻^6, 10⁻^3, 10^0, 10^3, 10^6, ...). Each exponent multiple corresponds to a standard metric prefix (micro µ, milli m, kilo k, mega M, giga G, etc.).
For example, 12,345 converts to 12.345 x 10^3 (12.345k), 0.00456 converts to 4.56 x 10⁻^3 (4.56m), and 555,000,000 converts to 555 x 10^6 (555M). This format is the standard in electrical engineering, physics, and technical documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is engineering notation?
Engineering notation is a version of scientific notation where the exponent of 10 is always a multiple of 3. For example, 12,345 becomes 12.345 x 10^3 (12.345k). This aligns with metric prefixes like milli (10⁻^3), kilo (10^3), mega (10^6), etc.
How is engineering notation different from scientific notation?
Scientific notation uses one digit before the decimal (1.2345 x 10^4), while engineering notation uses a mantissa between 1 and 999 with exponents in multiples of 3 (12.345 x 10^3). Engineering notation maps directly to metric prefixes.
Is this calculator free?
Yes, all calculators on Calculy are completely free to use.