scientific notation

NOUN

recording numbers in powers of ten

Synonyms

WEAK

exponential notation floating-point notation standard index notation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Atto” is the scientific notation prefix that represents 10-18, which is a decimal point followed by 17 zeroes and a 1.

From Salon • Oct. 10, 2023

In the following exercises, write each number in scientific notation.

From Textbooks • May 6, 2020

Use scientific notation to determine how many adults believe aliens have visited Earth.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

In scientific notation, this would become 2.36 × 108.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

Why don’t news magazines and newspapers make appropriate use of scientific notation in their stories?

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos