UNIT 1: NUMBER SENSE
N.S. 1.1- SCIENTIFIC NOTATION
Per 3, 5- 8/22/11 Per 2, 4, 6- 8/23/11
Scientific Notation
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Scientific Notation is a quick way to express very
large or very small numbers.
Scientific Notation will look like this:
A number × 10y
You will need to…
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1. Turn a number into scientific notation
2. Turn a number in scientific notation into a number
in standard form.
Turning a number into Scientific
Notation
Example: 34,500,000,000
Step 1: Identify the first non-zero number that you
see.
In this case, it will be 3.
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Step 2: Place a decimal point after that first nonzero number, and the list all the other numbers
behind the decimal.
In this case, our start will be 3.45
Figuring out the exponent
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Step 3: Look at the original number
34,500,000,000
We placed a decimal after the 3. From the end of
the number, count how many spaces we moved the
decimal.
We moved the decimal 10 spaces from the end of
the number so our exponent will be 10.
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Step 4: Putting it all together.
Answer: 3.45 x 1010
Example 2:
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Scientific Notation is also used to express very small
numbers.
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0.0000567
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Step 1: Identify the first non-zero number that you
see. 0.0000567
In this case, it is 5.
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Step 2: Place a decimal point after that first nonzero number, and the list all the other numbers
behind the decimal.
=5.67
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Step 3: Look at the original number 0.0000567
We placed a decimal after the 5. Now count the
amount of spaces we moved the decimal.
Since we moved the original decimal to the right, our
exponent will be negative.
We moved the decimal 5 spaces to the right so our
exponent will be -5.
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Step 4: Putting it all together.
Answer: 5.67 x 10-5
Whiteboard CFU
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Express the following in scientific notation:
87,650,000,000
Answer:
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8.675 x 1010
Whiteboard CFU
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Express the following in scientific notation:
0.000643
Answer:
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6.43 x 10-4
Independent Practice NS 1.1
1. 0.033
2. 909
3. 49,700
4. 5.32
5. 0.333
6. 6.33
7. 0.0572
8. 0.0087
9. 9.77
10. 0.00046
11. 0.00116
12. 7.96
13. 0.081
14. 21
15. 0.705
16. 75.2
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17. 4,740
18. 6,460
19. 0.000375
20. 315
21. 89.9
22. 1.26
23. 9.81
24. 0.0149
25. 0.031