Question

How do you go about doing scientific notation?

I know I was "taught" scientific notation sometime during school, but I most likely wasn't paying attention. Could someone just give me an easy to understand in-depth explanation? Thanks!

Answer 1

Scientific notation is written as one digit to the right of the decimal with the correct number of significant digits multiplied by a power of 10

Explanation:

Scientific notation is dependent on the number of digits that have been experimentally measured.

For example in determining density of a sample when the mass was determined by an electric balance to be 10. 645 grams and the volume was determined by a graduated cylinder to be 2.5 ml Scientific notation must be used.

`D = M/V` so

`D = 10.645/2.5` which gives

`D = 4.258` g/ml However the answer in the correct number of significant number is 2 because the volume is measure to only 2 significant digits.

`D = 4.3` g/ml s
For another example change the mass to 106.45 grams now the density is

`D = 106.45/2.5 = 42.58` g/ml Writing this in scientific notation would be `4.3 xx 10^1`

In scientific notation only one digit is written to the right of the decimal. The value of the digits is indicated by a power of 10