How do you do scientific notations?
http://www.purplemath.com/modules/exponent3.htm
by doing it
Scientific notation is a way to express very large or very small numbers using powers of 10. To represent a number in scientific notation, follow these steps:
1. Identify the coefficient: Determine the significant digits in the original number.
2. Determine the exponent: Count the number of decimal places you need to move the decimal point to obtain a number between 1 and 10 (inclusive). The exponent will be positive if you moved the decimal to the left and negative if you moved it to the right.
3. Write the number in the form: coefficient × 10^exponent.
Here's an example to help you understand the process:
Let's say we want to write the number 315,000,000 in scientific notation.
1. Identify the coefficient: The significant digits in the number are 3, 1, and 5.
2. Determine the exponent: We need to move the decimal point 8 places to the left to obtain a number between 1 and 10. Therefore, the exponent will be 8.
3. Write the number in scientific notation: The coefficient is 3.15 (the 3, 1, and 5 with the decimal point moved 8 places to the left), and the exponent is 8. So, the scientific notation representation is 3.15 × 10^8.
On the other hand, if you have a small number like 0.0000254, the process is as follows:
1. Identify the coefficient: The significant digits are 2, 5, and 4.
2. Determine the exponent: We need to move the decimal point 5 places to the right to obtain a number between 1 and 10. Therefore, the exponent will be -5.
3. Write the number in scientific notation: The coefficient is 2.54 (the 2, 5, and 4 with the decimal point moved 5 places to the right), and the exponent is -5. So, the scientific notation representation is 2.54 × 10^-5.
Remember, scientific notation is a useful tool to express very large or very small numbers in a compact and standardized form, making them easier to work with in calculations or when dealing with scientific measurements.