Scientific Notation Word Problems

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 multiply numbers in scientific notation?

Back

Multiply the coefficients and add the exponents. Example: (2 x 10^3) * (3 x 10^2) = 6 x 10^(3+2) = 6 x 10^5.

Front

How do you divide numbers in scientific notation?

Back

Divide the coefficients and subtract the exponents. Example: (6 x 10^6) / (2 x 10^3) = 3 x 10^(6-3) = 3 x 10^3.

Front

What is the value of 1 x 10^2 grams in micrograms?

Back

1 x 10^2 grams = 1 x 10^2 * 1 x 10^6 micrograms = 1 x 10^8 micrograms.

Front

How do you convert a number from standard form to scientific notation?

Back

Move the decimal point to create a number between 1 and 10, then count the number of places moved to determine the exponent of ten.

Front

What is the correct scientific notation for 2035?

Back

2.035 x 10^3.

Front

If the mass of the sun is 1.989 x 10^30 kg and the mass of the earth is 5.98 x 10^24 kg, how do you find how many times bigger the sun is than the earth?

Back

Divide the mass of the sun by the mass of the earth: (1.989 x 10^30) / (5.98 x 10^24) = 3.326 x 10^5.

Front

What is a microgram in terms of grams?

Back

1 microgram = 1 x 10^-6 grams.

Front

How do you determine the number of vibrations produced in a given time using scientific notation?

Back

Multiply the number of vibrations per second by the time in seconds. Example: 2.62 x 10^2 vibrations/second for 5 x 10^-1 seconds = 1.31 x 10^2 vibrations.

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.