0.001 in Scientific Notation

0.001 in scientific notation

0.001 = 1 \times 10^{-3}

0.001 in scientific notation is 1 × 10⁻³ – the decimal point moves 3 places to the right, so the power of ten is −3.

  • E-notation: 1E-3 (calculators, Excel, programming)
  • Engineering notation: 1 × 10⁻³ (the power is a multiple of 3)
  • Said aloud: one times ten to the power of negative three
  • Significant figures: 1
  • Order of magnitude: \displaystyle 10^{-3}
  • As a fraction: 1/1000

Step-by-step solution

The problem

\text{Write } 0.001 \text{ in scientific notation}
1

Find the coefficient

a = 1

Scientific notation is \displaystyle a \times 10^{n} with \displaystyle 1 \le a < 10. Put the decimal point just after the first non-zero digit (1).

2

Count the places the decimal point moves

  1. 0.001
  2. 0.01
  3. 0.1
  4. 1

From \displaystyle 0.001 to \displaystyle 1 the decimal point moves 3 places to the right.

3

Choose the sign of the exponent

n = -3

The number is less than 1, so the point moved right and the exponent is negative: each place right multiplies by 10, and \displaystyle 10^{-3} divides it back.

4

Write it in scientific notation

0.001 = \textcolor{#0b5c56}{1 \times 10^{-3}}

Check

1 \times 10^{-3} = 1 \div 1000 = 0.001 \;\checkmark

Multiply the coefficient by the power of ten (a negative power divides) to get back the number.

The digits 1 at other powers of ten

Only the power changes when the decimal point moves – each place right is one more step of ten.

NumberScientific notationE-notation
0.11 × 10⁻¹1E-1
0.011 × 10⁻²1E-2
0.0011 × 10⁻³1E-3
0.00011 × 10⁻⁴1E-4
0.000011 × 10⁻⁵1E-5
0.0000011 × 10⁻⁶1E-6
0.00000011 × 10⁻⁷1E-7
0.000000011 × 10⁻⁸1E-8
0.0000000011 × 10⁻⁹1E-9

Other numbers × 10⁻³

Try different values

Frequently asked questions

Is 10 × 10⁻⁴ the same as 1 × 10⁻³?

It has the same value, but it isn’t scientific notation: the number in front must be at least 1 and less than 10, and 10 is not. Move the point one more place and add 1 to the power: 1 × 10⁻³.

Any other number – or multiplying, dividing, adding and subtracting in scientific notation – use the Scientific Notation Calculator.