Decimal to fraction
Convert a finite decimal or scientific notation into a simplified fraction, with place-value and greatest-common-divisor steps.
Scientific notation converter with exact decimal expansion
Rewrite a decimal using one nonzero digit before the decimal point and an integer power of ten. The converter works on the entered digits directly, so long finite decimals are not first rounded through a binary floating-point value.
Free to use, with no sign-in. Inputs and results stay in this page and are not sent with the form. Download a result before leaving; this tool does not save your work.
Worked result
0.0000725 = 7.25 × 10^-5.
- Locate the first nonzero digit.
- Move the point to immediately after that digit.
- Use exponent -5 because the original value is five decimal places smaller.
Normalize 0.0000725
Move the decimal point five places to the right to obtain a coefficient between 1 and 10. Compensate with a negative exponent.
0.0000725 = 7.25 × 10^-5
Coefficient = 7.25
Exponent = -5
e notation = 7.25e-5A negative exponent describes a reciprocal power of ten, not a negative sign on the number. The value -0.0000725 has the same exponent and a negative coefficient.
Preserve value while moving the point
For a nonzero value, normalized scientific notation has a coefficient with absolute magnitude at least one and less than ten. Moving the point one place left increases the exponent by one; moving it one place right decreases the exponent by one.
Zero has no unique normalized exponent, so this tool displays zero directly. Trailing zeros are removed from the normalized coefficient. This conversion preserves numerical value, not the significant-figure or uncertainty convention of a physical measurement.
value = coefficient × 10^exponent
For a nonzero value: 1 ≤ |coefficient| < 10
Example: 7250000 = 7.25 × 10^6Input limits and common mistakes
Use a finite decimal and an optional e exponent, such as -7.25e-5. A multiplication sign, handwritten power expression, units or thousands separators are not accepted.
The coefficient input is limited to 256 digits and an explicit exponent to ±300. Exact decimal expansion is bounded to prevent enormous output. The converter does not perform arithmetic on two scientific-notation values or round to a requested uncertainty.
Questions about scientific notation
Does 10^-5 make the value negative?
No. It means 1/100000. A separate minus sign on the coefficient makes the number negative.
Can I enter 7.25e-5?
Yes. The e notation means “times ten to the power of.” The tool returns both normalized notation and ordinary decimal form.
Are trailing zeros retained as significant figures?
No. The normalized coefficient represents the same numerical value. Record measurement precision separately when trailing zeros carry that meaning.
Sources and verification
These references explain the formulas or formats. The worked examples above were created for this tool and checked against independent calculations or format round trips. AI-assisted development does not imply a named human expert review.
- OpenStax: scientific notation — Normalized coefficients and integer powers of ten.
Published 2026-10-23. Examples are illustrations, not measurements of a service or claims about search rankings.
Related tools
Binary, decimal and hex
Convert signed integers among binary, decimal, octal and hexadecimal without losing large integer digits. Check unsigned and two’s-complement 8-bit values.
Percentage calculator
Calculate a percent of a number, express one number as a percent of another, or find the whole from a known part and percentage.
Further reading
All calculators and developer tools · Source-checked guides · How Ithy checks sources