Power of ten full#

So your number in scientific notation is: 5.2304x10 6, or '5.2304 times 10 to the sixth (power.)' The number now reads: 5.23040000, or 5.2304 (since any trailing zeroes may be dropped.) So 5.2304 is your value of N.įor step 2, recall that you have moved 6 placess to the left, so that your value of x = 6. If you moved to the left, then each space adds 1 to x (where x begins at zero.) If you moved to the right, then each space adds -1 to x.įor step 1, you need to move the decimal point 6 places to the left. Count the number of spaces you just had to move your decimal point. Locate the decimal point of your number, and move it either to the right or to the left, so that there is only one non-zero digit to the left of it. To convert an ordinary number to its scientific notation counterpart, here's a two-step process:ġ. Which in words reads: N times 10 raised to the power of x, where x is called the exponent, or power of 10. The general form of a number in scientific notation is: Scientific notation is such a method, and in science it's as imperative as elementary school multiplication tables.

Power of ten full#

But the range of numbers one works with when exploring the Universe's full scale is so overwhelming that a new method of representing them becomes essential. When numbers fall within a scale that you can intuitively grasp, it's sufficient to represent them with the symbols you've known since kindergarten.

Using nothing but a pencil and piece of scrap paper, perform the following operations:Ĭhances are you were breezing along pretty smoothly until you came to problem 4. To appreciate the utility of scientific notation, let's start with a simple example. Scientific Notation: Powers of Ten Scientific Notation: Powers of Ten