what is 0.000000000026732 in scientific notation
do you count the zero before the decimal?
$${\mathtt{2.673\: \!2}}{\mathtt{\,\times\,}}{{\mathtt{10}}}^{-{\mathtt{11}}}$$
it would be 2.6732 X 10^-11, and no you do not.
its how many "decimal points" you move to the left or right
the exponent will be postive for large numbers and negative for small ones