Scientifi

c
Notation
What is it and how is it useful?

INSPIRED BY
 Approximate distance of Earth from the Sun:
150,000,000 km

Approximate mass of a hydrogen atom:

0.00000000000000000000000000167 kilograms.

How can we write these

numbers easier?

The solution is
scientific notation.
Learning Outcomes
Today, you'll be able to:

Explain why scientific notation is Convert scientific notation to

used. standard form.

Compare numbers written in Use scientific notation for real-

scientific notation. life figures.
 Scientific notation is a neat and quick way of
writing

What is (i) very large or

(ii) very small numbers

Scientific b 6
a × 10 Example: 2.3 × 10
Where 1 < α < 10 and

Notation? b is an integer
Parts of Scientific Notation
exponent

coefficient base
 Scientific Notation to
Standard Form

Exponent is positive Exponent is negative

What do you notice?

 Scientific Notation to
Standard Form
Exponent is positive
Decimal is moved
. . 6 times to the right
1 2 3 4 5 6

Exponent is negative
Decimal is moved
. 6 times to the left
1 2 3 4 5 6
 Can you find out...

How many times the human What is the average width How many cell phones are How wide is a plant
eye blinks of a human hair? in use today cell in meters?
per year? in the US?
 Answer
Key

8
The human eye blinks The width of a human hair Approximately 2.5 × 10 cell A plant cell is approximately
6 -5
around 4.2 × 10 times per is approximately 1.17 × 10 phones are in use in the US. 1.276 × 10 meters wide.
-3
year. cm

6 -3 8 -5
4.2 × 10 1.17 × 10 2.5 × 10 1.276 × 10
= 4,200,000 = 0.00117 = 250,000,000 = 0.00001276
 Ordering Numbers in Scientific
1 Notation 2

Check the exponent. Re-order the numbers.

Based on the exponents, we know that this is

the smallest value.
Ordering Numbers in Scientific
3 Notation
If the exponents are the same,
compare the coefficients.

They both have 4 as their exponent, so we

compare their coefficients.

Since 2 < 3.2, the correct order is:

< <
 Distance Across
the Universe!
Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our own - the Sun - is
just 40,208,000,000,000 km away.

Considering that a light year corresponds to a distance of

12
9 × 10 km, which of the two distances is larger?
Summary
Scientific Notation
This is a shorter way of
writing large or small Where 1 < α < 10
numbers. and b is an integer

exponent

coefficient base
 References
Mathspace. "2.01 Scientific notation | Grade 4 Math | Common Core 4 - 2022 Edition." Accessed 12 June 2023,
https://mathspace.co/textbooks/syllabuses/Syllabus-1157/topics/Topic-21904/subtopics/Subtopic-279886/.

Mathspace. "2.02 Compare and order numbers in scientific notation | Grade 4 Math | Common Core 4
- 2022 Edition." Accessed 12 June 2023,
https://mathspace.co/textbooks/syllabuses/Syllabus-1157/topics/Topic-21904/subtopics/Subtopic-
279887/.
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