What is the Difference Between D and E in Scientific Notation?

In summary, The main difference between 6.6725985D-20 and 6.6725985E-20 is that the D represents double precision and the E represents single precision in terms of how the number is stored in computer programming languages. However, for non-programmers, the two can be considered equivalent.
  • #1
tony873004
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What's the difference between:

6.6725985D-20

and

6.6725985E-20
 
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  • #2
From a computer programming point of view the D means the number is stored as double precision where as E is stored as single precision (for exmaple this is the notiation used in the fortran programming language, but it may apply to other languages, I am not sure). If you arent doing any programming but just came across this then you shouldn't need to worry about it and yo ucan assume that the two are equivalent. If you are programming then do some googling/reading on single/double precision etc.
 
  • #3
Thanks. That makes sense. I was wondering in relation to VB. I just tried it, and the VB editor automatically changes D to E, with the precision set in the Dim statement.
 

What is scientific notation?

Scientific notation is a way of writing numbers that are very large or very small. It is expressed as a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10.

Why do scientists use scientific notation?

Scientists use scientific notation to make very large or very small numbers easier to work with. It also helps to reduce the number of zeros and makes calculations more efficient.

How do you convert a number to scientific notation?

To convert a number to scientific notation, move the decimal point so that there is only one non-zero digit to the left of the decimal. Then, count the number of places the decimal point moved and use that as the exponent of 10.

How do you calculate with numbers in scientific notation?

To calculate with numbers in scientific notation, first convert all numbers to the same power of 10. Then, perform the desired operation on the coefficients and add or subtract the exponents.

What is the benefit of using scientific notation?

The benefit of using scientific notation is its ability to easily represent extremely large or small numbers without having to write out numerous zeros. It also allows for more precise calculations and easier comparison of numbers in different orders of magnitude.

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