Scientific Notation - Engineering Notation

Engineering Notation

Engineering notation differs from normalized scientific notation in that the exponent b is restricted to multiples of 3. Consequently, the absolute value of a is in the range 1 ≤ |a| < 1000, rather than 1 ≤ |a| < 10. Though similar in concept, engineering notation is rarely called scientific notation. This allows the numbers to explicitly match their corresponding SI prefixes, which facilitates reading and oral communication. For example, 12.5×10−9 m can be read as "twelve-point-five nanometers" or written as 12.5 nm, while its scientific notation counterpart 1.25×10−8 m would likely be read out as "one-point-two-five times ten-to-the-negative-eight meters".