What is the pattern you can use to multiply a whole number by a power of 10?

Answer 1

When multiplying a WHOLE number by a power of ten, write the same number of zeros (0) after the number as the power, eg:

123 x 102 = 12300 (two 0s as the power is 2)

123 x 106 = 123000000 (six 0s as the power is 6)

If the power of 10 is written in full (eg 102 = 100), write the same number of zeros after the number as in the power of 10, eg:

123 x 100 = 12300

123 x 1000000 = 123000000

NOTE:

It is better to not think in terms of adding zeros, but to think in terms of moving (or jumping) the decimal point (over digits).

For a whole number, the decimal point is "hiding"* after the last digit. When multiplying by a power of 10, the decimal point is jumped the power (or number of zeros in the power of 10) digits to the right; if there are no digits to the right of the decimal point when it needs to jump, a zero is placed after the decimal point so that it can then jump over that zero.

*the decimal point is "hiding" as it is not normally written if there are no non-zero digits after it.