0.6 in Scientific Notation

0.6 in scientific notation

0.6 = 6 \times 10^{-1}

0.6 in scientific notation is 6 × 10⁻¹ – the decimal point moves 1 place to the right, so the power of ten is −1.

  • E-notation: 6E-1 (calculators, Excel, programming)
  • Engineering notation: 600 × 10⁻³ (the power is a multiple of 3)
  • Said aloud: six times ten to the power of negative one
  • Significant figures: 1
  • Order of magnitude: \displaystyle 10^{-1}
  • As a fraction: 3/5

Step-by-step solution

The problem

\text{Write } 0.6 \text{ in scientific notation}
1

Find the coefficient

a = 6

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 (6).

2

Count the places the decimal point moves

  1. 0.6
  2. 6

From \displaystyle 0.6 to \displaystyle 6 the decimal point moves 1 place to the right.

3

Choose the sign of the exponent

n = -1

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^{-1} divides it back.

4

Write it in scientific notation

0.6 = \textcolor{#0b5c56}{6 \times 10^{-1}}

Check

6 \times 10^{-1} = 6 \div 10 = 0.6 \;\checkmark

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

The digits 6 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
0.66 × 10⁻¹6E-1
0.066 × 10⁻²6E-2
0.0066 × 10⁻³6E-3
0.00066 × 10⁻⁴6E-4
0.000066 × 10⁻⁵6E-5
0.0000066 × 10⁻⁶6E-6
0.00000066 × 10⁻⁷6E-7
0.000000066 × 10⁻⁸6E-8
0.0000000066 × 10⁻⁹6E-9

Other numbers × 10⁻¹

Try different values

Frequently asked questions

Is 60 × 10⁻² the same as 6 × 10⁻¹?

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 60 is not. Move the point one more place and add 1 to the power: 6 × 10⁻¹.

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