Mastering Scientific Notation: Word Problems in Action

A scientist measures the mass of a small particle as 3.5 x 10^-9 grams. If another particle has a mass of 2.1 x 10^-9 grams, what is the total mass of both particles in scientific notation?

• 3.0 x 10^-9 grams

• 5.6 x 10^-9 grams

• 4.5 x 10^-9 grams

• 6.0 x 10^-9 grams

A cell in a petri dish contains 4.2 x 10^6 bacteria. After some time, 1.3 x 10^6 bacteria die. How many bacteria are left in the dish?

• 4.2 x 10^6

• 2.9 x 10^6

• 3.5 x 10^6

• 1.0 x 10^6

The distance from Earth to a nearby star is approximately 4.2 x 10^16 meters. If a spaceship travels 1.5 x 10^16 meters towards the star, how far is it from the star now in scientific notation?

• 1.2 x 10^16 meters

• 2.7 x 10^16 meters

• 4.0 x 10^16 meters

• 3.5 x 10^16 meters

A factory produces 5.6 x 10^4 toys in a day. If it produces 3.2 x 10^4 more toys the next day, how many toys did it produce in total over the two days?

• 6.4 x 10^4

• 7.2 x 10^4

• 8.8 x 10^4

• 9.6 x 10^4

A comet travels at a speed of 2.5 x 10^4 kilometers per hour. If it travels for 3.0 x 10^3 hours, how far does it travel in total in scientific notation?

• 8.0 x 10^6 kilometers

• 5.0 x 10^8 kilometers

• 7.5 x 10^7 kilometers

• 6.0 x 10^7 kilometers

A researcher finds that a certain chemical is present in 1.8 x 10^-5 liters in one sample and 2.4 x 10^-5 liters in another sample. What is the total volume of the chemical in both samples?

• 5.2 x 10^-5 liters

• 1.0 x 10^-5 liters

• 4.2 x 10^-5 liters

• 3.6 x 10^-5 liters

The population of a small town is 1.2 x 10^5 people. If 3.5 x 10^4 people move away, what is the new population of the town in scientific notation?

• 8.5 x 10^4

• 9.0 x 10^4

• 1.0 x 10^5

• 7.0 x 10^4

A satellite orbits Earth at an altitude of 3.0 x 10^7 meters. If it descends by 1.2 x 10^7 meters, what is its new altitude in scientific notation?

• 1.8 x 10^7

• 1.5 x 10^7

• 3.0 x 10^7

• 2.1 x 10^7

A library has 2.5 x 10^3 books. If it acquires 1.5 x 10^3 more books, how many books does the library have now in scientific notation?

• 3 x 10^3

• 4 x 10^3

• 5 x 10^3

• 2 x 10^3

A computer processes 4.0 x 10^8 calculations per second. If it runs for 2.5 x 10^2 seconds, how many calculations does it process in total in scientific notation?

• 5.0 x 10^12

• 4.0 x 10^9

• 2.5 x 10^10

• 1.0 x 10^11