Scientific Notation

Lesson 11
What is Scientific Notation?

 ScientificNotation uses powers of 10 to

express decimal number.
 2.4 X 104 = 24000
 2.4 X 10-4 = .00024

 NOTE: 2.4 X 104 reads 2.4 times 10 to the 4th

power.
Scientific Notation

 Numbers in scientific notation are written

a X 10n , where a is greater than or equal to 1
and less than to. 1 < a < 10
Reading Scientific Notation

 4.5 X 103
 You take the decimal and move it right 3 places.
The exponent is positive 3, that means move the
decimal 3 places to the right. If the decimal was
negative you would move the decimal to the left.
 After moving the decimal 3 places to the right we get
4500.
 When you move the decimal to the left or right and
there is no number there, you fill that gap in with a
zero.
Reading Scientific Notation

4 50 0.

 We took 4.5 X 103 and moved the decimal

place 3 to the right. I filled in every gap with
a zero.

 Now we have 4500

Literal Meaning

 So we know that 4.5 X 103 is 4500. Let me

prove this to you in a way you understand.

 103, (10 . 10 . 10), is the same as 1000

 4.5 X 103
 4.5 X 1000 = 4500
Writing in scientific notation
 Write 35000 in scientific notation.
 Is 35000 between 1 and 10? NO!
 What we need to do is move the decimal place over
so we can make it between 1 and 10.
 3.5000 is between 1 and 10. We moved the decimal
place left 4 places.
 Now here is the trick to writing it in scientific notation.
We now have our “a” which is between 1 and 10. If
we were to write 3.5000 as 35000 we would have to
move the decimal 4 places to the RIGHT.
 So, 3.5 X 104 , is the same as 35000.
Try this one

 Write 5206 in scientific notation.

 Is 5206 between 1 and 10? NO!

 5.206 is though. I moved the decimal 3
places to the left.
 If I wanted to write 5.206 as 5206 I would
move my decimal place 3 to the right.
 5.206 X 103 = 5206
Going to the left

 .000452 , write in scientific notation

 .000452 is not between 1 and 10.
 4.52 is between 1 and 10 (move 4 decimal places to the right)
 To get 4.52 back to .000452 you would have
to move the decimal 4 places to the left.
 4.52 X 10-4 = .000452
Try these two

 Write in scientific notation

 82400

 .0000224
Answers

 82400 = 8.24 X 104

– 82400 is not between 1 and 10.
– 8.24 is between 1 and 10. We got there by moving the
decimal 4 places to the left. To get it back to the original we
need to move the decimal 4 places to the right.
 .0000224 = 2.24 X 10-5
– .0000224 is not between 1 and 10.
– 2.24 is between 1 and 10. We got there by moving the
decimal 5 places to the right. To get it back to the original
we need to move the decimal 5 places to the left.
Word Problems
 4.4 X 107 diapers are thrown away each day. How many are thrown
away each year? Show your answer in scientific notation.

 There are 365 days per year. We want to take the rate of trashed
diapers per day and multiply it to 365.
 (4.4 X 107) . (365)
 It would be easier to complete this problem if you put 365 in scientific
notation. 365 = 3.65 X 102
 (4.4 X 107)(3.65 X 102) , rewrite the problem so you are multiplying like
terms.
 (4.4 . 3.65)(107 . 102) (NOTE: multiply same bases, add exponents!)
 (16.06)(109) , we must change 16.06 into scientific notation
 (1.606 X 101)(109) = (1.606 X 101 X 109) = 1.606 X 1010
Word Problem

A whale has a mass of 1.0 X 105 kilograms.

 A school of 125 whales were spotted off the
coast of Alaska. What is the total mass of
the school? Express your answer in
scientific notation.

 Try this on your own. Answer on next slide.

Answer

 (1.0 X 105) . (125)

 (1.0 X 105) . (1.25 X 102)
 (1.0 . 1.25)(105 . 102)
 (1.25)(107) = 1.25 X 107

 1.25X 107 = 12,500,000 kilograms- That is a

heavy school of whales!