Question

How do you write `0.0001234567` in scientific notation?

Answer 1

1.234567 x `10^-4`

Explanation:

1. Point at the decimal pt. Follow all the way to the right of the decimal until you get to the first, single digit number that is a 1 or 2 or 3.... or 9. In the problem, it is the no. 1.
2. Put a decimal pt. after that 1 (b/t the 1 and 2). Be sure that you haven't lifted your pencil from that decimal pt.
3. Now, draw with your pencil to the left one number. This move will underline the no. 1. Your pencil tip should have landed b/t the left side of the no. 1 and the no. 0. Be sure that you haven't lifted your pencil tip from there, and count out loud '1'.
4. From where your pencil tip is, again, draw with your pencil to the left one number. This move will underline the number 0. Your pencil should have stopped b/t the zeroes. Keep your pencil tip there and count out loud, '2'.
   5.Keep doing this process until your reach the decimal pt. that was originally there. As long as you count carefully, you should be saying out loud '4' right when you reach the original decimal pt. When you've just counted out loud '4', it tells you that at count 1 you were moving 1 tenth of a decimal place to the left. At count 2 you had moved 1 one hundredth. At count 3 you had moved 1 one thousandth decimal places over to the left. At count 4, you arrived at the original decimal pt. and had moved 1 ten thousandth decimal places over to the left. That is a very small number, written as `10^-4`.
5. Go back to step 1. Go ahead and erase everything to the left of no. 1. Then transcribe all the no.'s to the right of the no. 1 from the problem.
6. Take all of that and multiply this number by `10^-4`.
   Answer: 1.234567 x `10^-4`