1×10K

1×10K is a notation whose meaning depends on context. In many informal or label-like uses, it is read as the product of 1 and ten thousand, yielding 10,000. More formally in decimal scaling, people sometimes write 1 × 10K to mean 1 × 10^K, where K is an integer exponent, so the value would be 10^K. However, this form is less precise than standard scientific notation, which uses an explicit exponent (for example, 1 × 10^4 equals 10,000).

Ambiguity is a key feature of the expression. The letter K can denote different things in different domains: it is sometimes used as a shorthand for kilo (10^3) in casual contexts, sometimes stands for kelvin in temperature measurements, and in some business or labeling conventions it appears as part of a name such as “10-K.” Because of these potential confusing meanings, 1×10K is not a universally unambiguous notation.

In practice, when encountering 1×10K, readers should rely on surrounding units or conventions to interpret it. If no unit is present, 1×10K most commonly implies 10,000 in contexts where K represents thousand. In technical writing, it is clearer to use standard scientific notation (1 × 10^K) or to spell out the numeric value (10,000) to avoid misinterpretation.

See also: decimal prefix notation, scientific notation, 10K (ten thousand), 10-K (annual report).