# How do you write 0.5 in scientific notation?

Jul 21, 2015

$0.5 = 5.0 \times {10}^{- 1}$
$\textcolor{w h i t e}{\text{XXXX}}$(standard notation) = (scientific notation)

#### Explanation:

To convert standard notation into scientific notation:
(assuming a value greater than zero)

• If the value is less than 1
$\textcolor{w h i t e}{\text{XXXX}}$move the decimal point to right as many places as necessary to leave exactly 1 non-zero digit to the left of the decimal point; this new version becomes your mantissa; the negative of the number of places you moved the decimal point becomes your exponent .

• If the value is greater than 1
$\textcolor{w h i t e}{\text{XXXX}}$move the decimal point to the left as many places as necessary to leave exactly 1 non-zero digit to the left of the decimal point; this new version becomes your mantissa; the number of places you moved the decimal point becomes your exponent.

• If the value is exactly 1
$\textcolor{w h i t e}{\text{XXXX}}$the mantissa is $1.0$ and the exponent is 0.

• If the value is exactly 0
$\textcolor{w h i t e}{\text{XXXX}}$the mantissa is $0.0$ and the exponent is 0.

• If the value is negative
$\textcolor{w h i t e}{\text{XXXX}}$Write a minus sign prefix and then treat as a positive value.

Substitute your mantissa and exponent into the general scientific form:
$\textcolor{w h i t e}{\text{XXXX}}$mantissa $\times {10}^{\text{exponent}}$