The process of expressing a number in scientific notation on a calculator involves transforming it into a form consisting of a number between 1 and 10 (the coefficient or significand) multiplied by a power of 10. For instance, the number 12345 can be represented as 1.2345 x 104. Conversely, a very small number such as 0.0000678 can be represented as 6.78 x 10-5. The method for achieving this conversion varies slightly depending on the calculator model, but generally involves using a specific mode or function key dedicated to scientific notation.
Employing this notation is valuable for efficiently representing extremely large or small values commonly encountered in fields like physics, chemistry, and engineering. It simplifies calculations by allowing for easier manipulation of exponents and reduces the risk of errors when dealing with numbers with many digits. Historically, scientific notation predates electronic calculators, originating as a way to manually manage and compare numbers spanning vast orders of magnitude.