0.04 in Scientific Notation

0.04 in scientific notation

0.04 = 4 \times 10^{-2}

0.04 in scientific notation is 4 × 10⁻² – the decimal point moves 2 places to the right, so the power of ten is −2.

  • E-notation: 4E-2 (calculators, Excel, programming)
  • Engineering notation: 40 × 10⁻³ (the power is a multiple of 3)
  • Said aloud: four times ten to the power of negative two
  • Significant figures: 1
  • Order of magnitude: \displaystyle 10^{-2}
  • As a fraction: 1/25

Step-by-step solution

The problem

\text{Write } 0.04 \text{ in scientific notation}
1

Find the coefficient

a = 4

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 (4).

2

Count the places the decimal point moves

  1. 0.04
  2. 0.4
  3. 4

From \displaystyle 0.04 to \displaystyle 4 the decimal point moves 2 places to the right.

3

Choose the sign of the exponent

n = -2

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^{-2} divides it back.

4

Write it in scientific notation

0.04 = \textcolor{#0b5c56}{4 \times 10^{-2}}

Check

4 \times 10^{-2} = 4 \div 100 = 0.04 \;\checkmark

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

The digits 4 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
0.44 × 10⁻¹4E-1
0.044 × 10⁻²4E-2
0.0044 × 10⁻³4E-3
0.00044 × 10⁻⁴4E-4
0.000044 × 10⁻⁵4E-5
0.0000044 × 10⁻⁶4E-6
0.00000044 × 10⁻⁷4E-7
0.000000044 × 10⁻⁸4E-8
0.0000000044 × 10⁻⁹4E-9

Other numbers × 10⁻²

Try different values

Frequently asked questions

Is 40 × 10⁻³ the same as 4 × 10⁻²?

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 40 is not. Move the point one more place and add 1 to the power: 4 × 10⁻².

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