Shorthand way of writing very large or very small

numbers.
SCIENTIFIC NOTATION
Index Notation gives a number in two
parts:

Number between
1 and 10 but not x Power of 10.
10.
Example 1:
n
Express 3, 700, 000 in the form a x 10 ,
where 1 < a < 10.
The decimal point
for any whole
3, 700, 000 . number
is at the end.
NOTE: The power of
10 is the same as the
= 3.7 x 10⁶ number of jumps you
made with the decimal
point.
Example 2:
n
Express 32, 000 in the form a x 10 , where 1
< a < 10.

32, 000 .

= 3.2 x 10⁴
Example 3:
Express the number 0.000846 in the form a
n
x 10 , where 1 < a < 10, n Є Z.

0. 000846
NOTE: When you
jump forward, the
= 8.46 x 10⁻⁴ power of 10 is
negative.
Example 4:
Express 1, 456 in the form a x 10 , n
0.28
where 1 < a < 10, n Є Z.

1456 = 5, 200
0.28

5, 200 .
= 5.2 x 10³
 Summary
• If you jump backwards with the
decimal point, the power of 10 is
positive.

•If you jump forward with the decimal

point, the power of 10 is negative.
Practice for you:
Express the following numbers in the form
n
a x 10 , where 1 < a < 10, n Є Z.
•0.00068

•0.0000000097

•345,789,213

•234,678

•0.0657
Answers to th ‘Practice for you’:
Express the following numbers in the form
n
a x 10 , where 1 < a < 10, n Є Z.
•0.00068 = 6.8 x 10⁻⁴

•0.0000000097 = 9.7 x 10⁻⁹

•345,789,213 = 3.45789213 x 10⁸

•234,678 = 2.34678 x 10⁵

•0.0657 = 6.57 x 10⁻²