Scientific notation
Writing numbers as a coefficient times a power of ten.
Scientific notation expresses very large or very small numbers compactly as a × 10^n, where the coefficient a is at least 1 and less than 10 and n is an integer. A positive exponent shifts the decimal point right (big numbers); a negative exponent shifts it left (small numbers). It keeps significant figures clear and is standard in science and on calculators.
Example: 0.00042 = 4.2 × 10⁻⁴, and 93,000,000 = 9.3 × 10⁷.