# How do you write 0.005002 in scientific notation?

Jul 6, 2017

To write this term in scientific notation we need to move the decimal point 3 places to the right, therefore the exponent of the 10 will be negative:

$0.005002 = 5.002 \times {10}^{-} 3$

Jul 15, 2017

$5.002 \times {10}^{-} 3$

#### Explanation:

When working with scientific notation, a useful rule of thumb is:

If the decimal point moves to the LEFT:

$\rightarrow$ the power of $10$ INCREASES by $1$ for each place moved.

$\text{ } 4 \textcolor{b l u e}{50 , 000 , 000.} \times {10}^{0} = 4.5 \times {10}^{\textcolor{b l u e}{8}}$
$\text{ ".larrlarrlarr." }$(the decimal point moved $8$ places left)

If the decimal point moves to the RIGHT:

$\rightarrow$ the power of $10$ DECREASES by $1$ for each place moved.

$\text{ } 0 \textcolor{red}{.000 , 784} \times {10}^{0} = 7.84 \times {10}^{\textcolor{red}{- 4}}$
$\text{ ".rarr." }$(the decimal point moved $4$ places right)

Sometimes in calculations, numbers are obtained which are not in scientific notation. These have to be adjusted so that there is only ONE digit before the point.

$17.3 \times {10}^{15} = 1.73 \times {10}^{16}$

$156 \times {10}^{-} 9 = 1.56 \times {10}^{-} 7$

$0.00423 \times {10}^{18} = 4.23 \times {10}^{15}$

$0.000 , 008 , 91 \times {10}^{-} 5 = 8.91 \times {10}^{-} 11$