 Welcome to Scientific Notation. How can I convert a number smaller than one to Scientific Notation? Below you see both small ordinary numbers and numbers written in Scientific Notation. The approximate rest mass of an electron is shown here. The student pictured below has three thoughts. Such a small number is very difficult to read and very inconvenient to write. Expressing it in Scientific Notation would be much simpler. How can I convert it to Scientific Notation? To convert a number smaller than one to Scientific Notation, follow these three steps. Step 1. Move the decimal point so that one, and only one, nonzero digit is to the left of the decimal point. Drop all unnecessary zeros. Step 2. Count the number of places you would have to move the decimal point to get it back to its original position. That number is the power or exponent of 10. Since you have to move the decimal point to the left, which is the negative direction on the number line, to get it back to its original position, the power of 10 will be negative. Step 3. Write a multiplication problem with the new decimal number from step 1, being multiplied by the power of 10 from step 2. For example, let's go back to that small number that represents the approximate rest mass of an electron. Step 1. Move the decimal point so that one, and only one, nonzero digit is to the left of the decimal point. Drop all unnecessary zeros. This gives 9.11. Step 2. Count the number of places you would have to move the decimal point to get it back to its original position. That number is the power or exponent of 10. Since you have to move the decimal point to the left, which is the negative direction on a number line, to get it back to its original position, the power of 10 will be negative. We count 31. This means 10 to the negative 31st power. Step 3. Write a multiplication problem with the new decimal number from step 1, being multiplied by the power of 10 from step 2. 9.11 from step 1 times 10 to the negative 31st power from step 2. Now try these. Congratulations! Now you know how to convert a number smaller than one to scientific notation.