2 Laws of Integral Indices

Lesson
Scientific Notation
Worksheet 2.3
Name: _________________________ Class: ___________
WITH GUIDING
Objectives: 1. Learn the meaning of scientific notation.
2. Use scientific notation to express and manipulate extremely large numbers or numbers that are very
close to zero.

Key Points
A positive number x is in scientific notation if it is written in the form
a  10n, where 1  a < 10 and n is an integer.  1  a < 10 means that ‘a is greater than or equal to 1 but less than 10’.
Note: 1. When x  10, n is positive.
e.g. 2000 = 2  103
2. When 0 < x < 1, n is negative.
e.g. 0.03 = 3  10–2

Let’s Check
In each of the following, if the number is expressed in scientific notation, put a ‘’ in the box;
otherwise, put a ‘’.

(a) 1.3  109 (b) 23.3  107 (c) –7.43  1011

(d) 25  10–10 (e) 0.872  10–5 (f) –60  10–7

Example 1 (Level 1) Let’s Try 1

Express the following numbers in scientific Express the following numbers in scientific
notation. notation.
(a) 4 800 000 (b) 6 750 000 000 (a) 650 000 (b) 184 000 000
(c) 0.000 091 (d) –0.000 000 156 (c) 0.000 000 25 (d) –0.000 037 2

Solution Solution
(a)
(i)When the decimal point of a number is moved n
places to the left, we have to multiply the result by
10n.
(ii)When the decimal point of a number is moved n
places to the right, we have to multiply the result
by 10–n.

(b)
(a)

(b)
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 2 Laws of Integral Indices

(c)
(c)

(d)

(d)

Example 2 (Level 1) Let’s Try 2

Express the following numbers as integers or Express the following numbers as integers or
decimals. decimals.
(a) 9.75  105 (b) –1.302  107 (a) 4.93  107 (b) –5.001  102
(c) 8.21  10–7 (d) –2.603  10–5 (c) 6.72  10–3 (d) –3.69  10–4

Solution Solution
(a)
(a)

(b) (b)

(c)
(c)

(d)

(d)

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 2 Laws of Integral Indices

Example 3 (Level 1) Let’s Try 3

Express the following numbers in scientific Express the following numbers in scientific
notation, and round off your answers to notation, and round off your answers to
3 significant figures. 3 significant figures.
(a) 23 160 000  10–4 (a) 247 500 000  10–5
(b) –540.74  106 (b) 8264.5  106
(c) 0.069 892  10–5 (c) 0.000 529 8  10–4
(d) –104.45  10–6 (d) –0.007 539 2  105

Solution Solution
(a)

(a)

(b)

(b)

(c)

(c)

(d)

(d)

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 2 Laws of Integral Indices

Example 4 (Level 1) Let’s Try 4

Without using a calculator, find the values of
the following expressions, and express your
answers in scientific notation.
(a) 6.2  108  3.2  107
(b) 0.000 001 23 + 0.000 000 67
Without using a calculator, find the values of
the following expressions, and express your
answers in scientific notation.
(a) 4  109 + 7  108
(b) 0.000 000 069 – 0.000 000 004

Solution Solution
(a)
Before performing addition/subtraction, convert
the numbers in scientific notation to a form in
which exponents of the powers of 10 are the same.

(a)

Alternative Solution

(b)

(b)

Alternative Solution

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 2 Laws of Integral Indices

Example 5 (Level 1) Let’s Try 5

Without using a calculator, find the values of Without using a calculator, find the values of
the following expressions, and express your the following expressions, and express your
answers in scientific notation. answers in scientific notation.
(a) (1.5  105)  (1.4  108)
(a)
(b) (b) 0.0004  6 000 000

Solution Solution
(a)
(a)

(b) (b)

Key Points
1. When we have to input a number with many zeros into a calculator, it is more convenient for us to express it in scientific
notation and input it by using the key EXP .  EXP is the abbreviation of ‘exponent’.
e.g. Calculate 350 000 000 000 + 80 000 000 000.

Keying Sequence Result

11
3.5 EXP 11 + 8 EXP 10 EXE 4.3  10

2. We can use ‘Sci’ mode in the calculator to express a number in scientific notation and correct to a certain degree of accuracy.
e.g. Express 27 180 in scientific notation correct to 3 significant figures.

Keying Sequence Result

04
SHIFT MODE Sci 3 27180 EXE 2.72  10

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 2 Laws of Integral Indices

∴ (cor. to 3 sig. fig.)

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 2 Laws of Integral Indices

Let’s Check
Use a calculator to find the values of the following expressions, and express your answers in
scientific notation. (Give your answers correct to 3 significant figures if necessary.)

(a) 21 000 000 000 + 9 000 000 000 (b) 0.000 000 001 – 0.000 000 1

= ________________ = ________________

(c) 4  106 – 5  105 (d) (4.5  106)  (3.2  104)

= ________________ = ________________

(e) (f)

= ________________ = ________________

Example 6 (Level 2) Let’s Try 6

It is given that the capacity of High Island
Reservoir is about 2.81  108 m3. If the
reservoir is completely full after heavy rain,
how many distilled water bottles, each has a
capacity of 0.016 m3, can be filled with the
water in the reservoir?
(Express your answer in scientific notation and
correct to 3 significant figures.)
Masks with nanotechnology provide good
protection against SARS. It is given that the
size of a SARS virus is about 8  10–8 m and
the hole size of a mask is about 6  10–9 m.
How many times the hole size of the mask is
the size of a SARS virus?
Solution

Solution
The required number of distilled water bottles

Let’s try the Consolidation Corner on page 2.28 of

the textbook.

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 2 Laws of Integral Indices

nanotechnology 納米科技

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