Download CHAPTER 4: Exponents and Polynomials Section 4.3: Scientific Notation Topics: A.

MATH 0960
4.3 Notes
CHAPTER 4: Exponents and Polynomials
Section 4.3: Scientific Notation
Topics:
A. Convert numbers to and from scientific notation.
B. Perform calculations using scientific notation.
A. Convert numbers to and from scientific notation.
 What does a problem look like?
Examples:
1. Express the number 2,340,000 in scientific notation.
Answer:
2. Express the number 0.0005 in scientific notation.
Answer:
3. Express the number
Answer: 999.9
4. Express the number
without exponents.
in decimal notation.
Answer:

What do I need to know?
o A number written in scientific notation is written as a number greater than
or equal to one and less than 10 (
) multiplied by some power of
ten. The exponent on the 10 must be an integer.
o That means the decimal place is just to the right of the first nonzero digit of
the number.
o Consider the power of 10 a decimal mover.
o A decimal number greater than 10 should have a positive power of 10 that
represents the number of placed the decimal was moved to the left.
o A decimal number smaller than 1 should have a negative power of 10 that
represents the number of places the decimal was moved to the right.
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MATH 0960
4.3 Notes
B. Perform calculations using scientific notation.
 What does a problem look like?
Examples:
1. Perform the indicated operations and express your answer in decimal notation.
(
)(
)
Answer:
2. Perform the indicated operations and express your answer in decimal notation.
Answer:
3. Multiply by first converting each number to scientific notation. Write the
answer in scientific notation.
(
)(
)
Answer:
4. Perform the indicated computation. Write the answer in scientific notation.
Answer:

What do I need to know?
o Convert large and small numbers to scientific notation to ease calculations.
o Perform operation on coefficients and add or subtract exponents.
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