How is scientific notation done?

Answer 1

scientific notation is a method used to show very large numbers or very small numbers easily so for example say you want to put the number 579,000,000,000,000 into scientific notation you divide by ten until you get the decimal point behind the five then you show the other numbers behind the decimal point until you reach the long string of 0s (5.79) then multiply 5.79 by ten to the X power X being the number of times you divided by ten (5.79*10^14)

Answer 2

Scientific notation is a way of representing numbers, usually very large or very small, in the form

a*10^b where 1<= |a| < 10 is a decimal number and b is an integer (negative or positive).

a is called the mantissa and b is called the exponent.

To convert a number to scientific notation:

• If the number has no decimal point, then add one at the end.
• Then move the decimal point to just after the first digit while counting the number of places you have moved it.
• The new number, formed after moving the decimal point is a.
• The number of places to the left that the decimal point was moved is b. If it was moved to the right, then b is negative.

For example:

23045.06 becomes 2.304506*10^4

0.00023004 becomes 2.3004*10^(-4)

To convert a number in scientific notation to normal form:

• If b is positive, move the decimal point b places to the right in the number a - adding 0s at the end of the number, if required.
• If b is negative, move the decimal point b places to the left in the number a - adding 0s immediately after the decimal point, if required.

For example:

4.56*10^5 = 456000.

4.56*10^(-5) = 0.0000456

I have avoided using the term "Standard form" because, ironically, it is a non-standard term. In the UK Standard and Scientific forms are the same whereas in the US, the Standard form is what I have chosen to call the normal form.