Scientific notation writes a number as a value between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten, such as 4.5 x 10^4.
Why it matters
It makes very large and very small numbers easy to read. Calculators often show it as 4.5e4.
Scientific notation writes a number as a value between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten, such as 4.5 x 10^4.
It makes very large and very small numbers easy to read. Calculators often show it as 4.5e4.