Did you get it right?
Using this pattern, write the following in powers of 10 notation:
0.0000001 = 10-7
0.0000000000000001 = 10-16
And these in decimal notation:
10-8 = 0.00000001
10-19 = 0.0000000000000000001
Hopefully, you can see the pattern:
First, count the number of zeroes between the decimal point and the 1. Add one to that number, and that's your negative exponent.
Now, rarely in science will we ever have the luxury of working with numbers that are pure multiples of 10. But it's relatively easy to put any number in scientific notation. One way is to break the number down into a whole number multiplied by some multiple of 10, like so:
500,000 = 5 X 100,000 = 5 X 105
149,000,000 = 149 X 1,000,000 = 149 X 106
In this form, the number before the "X" symbol is called the coefficient. That last number would be read as
"One hundred forty-nine times ten to the sixth power."
Try these on your own:
3,000
3 X ?
3 X 10?
39,000,000
? X ?
?
982,600,000
?
?
Check your answers and move on.
Questions? Ask the designer, Jim Heath
Copyright 2000 Austin Community College