Section 4.3 Scientific Notation

The Format: A x 10N A must be > 1 and < 10. Find A by sliding the decimal point to the right of the first NONZERO digit. N indicates the # of spaces the decimal point is moved. If you moved the point to the RIGHT, N is negative. If you moved the point to the LEFT, N is positive.

EX: write in scientific notation 1. 18,500 2. 0.000 000 415 3. 3,721,000 4. 0.0093

E: write in decimal form: 1. 2.5 x 104 2. 6.28 x 10-3 3. 7.95 x 108 4. 1.3 x 10-6

To multiply or divide; 1. MULTIPLY or DIVIDE the ‘coefficients’ (A) 2. ADD or SUBTRACT the exponents on the powers of 10 (N) Make sure the answer fits the notation… that is, the “A” must be > 1 and < 10. You may need to adjust the decimal point and exponent!

EX: multiply or divide. Express the answer is BOTH scientific notation and in decimal form. 1. (1.3 x 10-8)(1.75 x 106) 2. (4 x 105)(6.2 x 102) 3. 1.4 x 10-3 4. 8.2 x 106 7 x 106 4 x 10-3