Objectives
To write numbers in scientific and standard notation
To compare and order numbers using scientific notation
In the Solve It, you worked with very small numbers. Scientists and mathematicians write very small or very large numbers, such as the masses of subatomic particles or the diameters of planets, using powers of 10.
Essential Understanding You can use powers of 10 to write and compare very large or very small numbers more easily. Scientific notation is a shorthand way to write numbers using powers of 10.
A number in scientific notation is written as the product of two factors in the form
Examples
You can use a scientific calculator to work with numbers in scientific notation. The E on a calculator readout stands for exponentiation. The readout 1.35E8 means