The Algebra Teacher\'s Guide to Reteaching Essential Concepts and Skills

Name Date

WORKSHEET 2.11: EXPRESSING LARGE NUMBERS

IN SCIENTIFIC NOTATION

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Scientific notation is a way of writing numbers as the product of a decimal between 1 and 10

and a power of 10. Follow the steps below to write large numbers in scientific notation:

1. Place the decimal point to the right of the first nonzero digit in standard form.


2. Write the digits, excluding zeros unless a zero is between two nonzero digits.


3. Count the number of places you moved the decimal point from the right. Use that num-
   ber as the power of 10.

EXAMPLES

35,200= 3. 52 × 104 The decimal point was moved four places from the right.

3,590,000= 3. 59 × 106 The decimal point was moved six places from the right.

170,400= 1. 704 × 105 The decimal point was moved five places from the right.

DIRECTIONS: Express each number in scientific notation.

1. 340,000 2.186,000,000 3.24,050

4.16,720 5.2,071,300 6.4,810

7.900,010 8.71,005,000 9.5,142,000

10. 1,100 11. 700,120,000 12. 89,150,000

CHALLENGE:Sunil wrote 23,500 as 23. 5 × 103 in scientific notation. Is he

correct? Explain your answer.

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2011 by Judith A. Muschla, Gary Robert Muschla, and Erin Muschla. All rights reserved.