Engineering Notation Calculator
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What is an engineering notation?How to use our engineering notation calculator?Our similar toolsFAQsOur engineering notation calculator is a convenient tool to convert any decimal value into engineering notation. If you are working with very large and very small numbers, engineering notation is a more compact and less error-prone method of representation. Keep reading, and we'll tell you what engineering notation is all about, what the prefixes are in engineering notation, and how to convert to engineering notation.
What is an engineering notation?
Engineering notation is a version of scientific notation commonly used by engineers to represent numbers. For engineering notation, the exponent of ten is always a multiple of three and has its own SI prefix. Let's see how it works by taking the number 65,000. To convert it to engineering notation:
- Divide the 65,000 into the precision part and the magnitude part (the power of ten). The 65,000 will be 65 × 103 (65 times 10 to the 3rd power, which is times a thousand).
- Substitute a multiple of three for the exponent using the appropriate engineering notation prefix. Look at the engineering notation chart below:
Name/Symbol | Multiplier |
|---|---|
yocto (y) | 10-24 |
zepto (z) | 10-21 |
atto (a) | 10-18 |
femto (f) | 10-15 |
pico (p) | 10-12 |
nano (n) | 10-9 |
micro (μ) | 10-6 |
milli (m) | 10-3 |
kilo (k) | 103 |
Mega (M) | 106 |
Giga (G) | 109 |
Tera (T) | 1012 |
Peta (P) | 1015 |
Exa (E) | 1018 |
Zetta (Z) | 1021 |
Yotta (Y) | 1024 |
Thus, 65,000 volts will be simply 65 kilovolts. Similarly, the 0.000073 farads could be written as 73 × 10-6 farads or 73 μF (microfarads) using the engineering notation prefix "micro" (μ) for 10-6.
How to use our engineering notation calculator?
Using the Omni's engineering notation calculator to convert to engineering notation is extremely easy and convenient; you just have to:
- Enter your number in decimal form or with an exponent (e), e.g., 3e-7 meters.
- You can also use scientific notation with multiples of 10, for example, 3 × 10-7.
- You can modify significant numbers. This is the number of digits in a value that is reliable and necessary to indicate the quantity of something. The default value is set to 10.
- The engineering notation calculator will return a result of 300 × 10⁻⁹ m or 300 nm (300 nanometers).
Our similar tools
Here check our tools to write down numbers in different notations depending on their application:
- Scientific notation calculator;
- Exponential notation calculator;
- Scientific notation converter;
- Scientific notation equation calculator; and
- Standard notation calculator.
How can I write 0.0046 grams in engineering notation?
4.6 mg or, equivalently, 4.6 milligrams. We will write 0.0046 as 4.6 × 10-3 and know that the prefix for 10-3 is m (milli).
How can I multiply 15,000 by 0.000004 in engineering notation?
To do it:
- Write down 15,000 as 15 kilos (15 × 103) and 0.000004 as 4 micros (4 × 10-6).
- Multiply the precision parts and add the exponents, i.e. 15 kilos by 4 micros will be 60 milli, because 103 × 10-6 = 10-3.