1 Billion in Scientific Notation

1 billion in scientific notation

1{,}000{,}000{,}000 = 1 \times 10^{9}

1 billion in scientific notation is 1 × 10⁹ – the decimal point moves 9 places to the left, so the power of ten is 9.

  • E-notation: 1E+9 (calculators, Excel, programming)
  • Engineering notation: 1 × 10⁹ (the power is a multiple of 3)
  • Said aloud: one times ten to the power of nine
  • Order of magnitude: \displaystyle 10^{9}
  • In the Indian system: 1,00,00,00,000 – one hundred crore

Step-by-step solution

The problem

\text{Write } 1{,}000{,}000{,}000 \text{ in scientific notation}
1

Write the number in digits

1{,}000{,}000{,}000
2

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).

3

Count the places the decimal point moves

  1. 1,000,000,000
  2. 100,000,000
  3. 10,000,000
  4. 1,000,000
  5. 100,000
  6. 10,000
  7. 1000
  8. 100
  9. 10
  10. 1

From \displaystyle 1{,}000{,}000{,}000 to \displaystyle 1 the decimal point moves 9 places to the left.

4

Choose the sign of the exponent

n = 9

The number is 10 or more, so the point moved left and the exponent is positive: each place left divides by 10, and \displaystyle 10^{9} multiplies it back.

5

Write it in scientific notation

1{,}000{,}000{,}000 = \textcolor{#0b5c56}{1 \times 10^{9}}

Check

1 \times 10^{9} = 1 \times 1{,}000{,}000{,}000 = 1{,}000{,}000{,}000 \;\checkmark

Multiply the coefficient by the power of ten to get back the number.

The digits 1 at other powers of ten

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

NumberScientific notationE-notation
1,0001 × 10³1E3
10,0001 × 10⁴1E4
100,0001 × 10⁵1E5
1,000,0001 × 10⁶1E6
10,000,0001 × 10⁷1E7
100,000,0001 × 10⁸1E8
1,000,000,0001 × 10⁹1E9

Big numbers in scientific notation

NameIn digitsScientific notationZeros
1 thousand1,0001 × 10³3
1 lakh1,00,0001 × 10⁵5
1 million1,000,0001 × 10⁶6
1 crore1,00,00,0001 × 10⁷7
1 billion1,000,000,0001 × 10⁹9
1 trillion1,000,000,000,0001 × 10¹²12
1 quadrillion1,000,000,000,000,0001 × 10¹⁵15

Other numbers × 10⁹

Try different values

Frequently asked questions

Is 10 × 10⁸ the same as 1 × 10⁹?

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 × 10⁹.

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