Adding and Subtracting Scientific Notation

Front

What is scientific notation?

Back

A way of expressing numbers that are too large or too small to be conveniently written in decimal form, using powers of ten.

Front

How do you add numbers in scientific notation?

Back

Align the exponents. If they are different, convert one number to have the same exponent as the other. Then, add the coefficients and keep the exponent.

Front

What is the first step in subtracting numbers in scientific notation?

Back

Align the exponents. If they are different, convert one number to have the same exponent as the other.

Front

What is the result of (5.2 x 10⁷) + (3.01 x 10⁴)?

Back

5.20301 x 10⁷

Front

What is the result of (7.32 x 10⁶) - (4.01 x 10⁸)?

Back

-3.937 x 10⁸

Front

What is the result of (2 x 10³) - (1.9 x 10²)?

Back

1.81 x 10³

Front

What is the significance of the exponent in scientific notation?

Back

The exponent indicates the power of ten by which the coefficient is multiplied, determining the scale of the number.

Front

How do you convert (3.01 x 10⁴) to have the same exponent as (5.2 x 10⁷)?

Back

Convert (3.01 x 10⁴) to (0.0301 x 10⁷) by moving the decimal point two places to the left and increasing the exponent by 3.

Front

What is the process for converting (1.9 x 10²) to (2 x 10³)?

Back

Convert (1.9 x 10²) to (0.19 x 10³) by moving the decimal point one place to the left and increasing the exponent by 1.

Front

What happens when you add a number in scientific notation with a significantly smaller exponent?

Back

The smaller number may not significantly affect the sum, and you may need to adjust the larger number's exponent.