Free Maths Calculator

Standard Form Calculator

Turn long numbers into standard form and standard form back into ordinary numbers. The steps track how far the decimal point moves and which direction, so the power of ten stops being a guess. It also spots front numbers that are not between 1 and 10 and fixes them for you.

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Method, Step by Step

    Worked Example

    Write 34,500 in standard form.

    1. Put the decimal point after the first non-zero digit: 3.45
    2. Count the places the point moved: 4, and the number is big, so the power is positive
    3. 34,500 = 3.45 × 10⁴

    Answer: 3.45 × 10⁴

    Try These Yourself

    Write 0.0006 in standard form.Show answerHide answer

    Answer: 6 × 10⁻⁴

    The point moves 4 places to sit after the 6, and the number is small, so the power is −4.

    Write 4.2 × 10³ as an ordinary number.Show answerHide answer

    Answer: 4,200

    Move the point 3 places to the right: 4.2 → 4,200.

    Write 725,000 in standard form.Show answerHide answer

    Answer: 7.25 × 10⁵

    Point after the 7; it moved 5 places.