Standard form
Topics level Key words
O Standard form FC}UNÞAÏC'N stondord form, index
C standard
Calculating with
form
$ so'rring probtems Htot{EFt
whqr you need to be qble to do in the exominsrions¡
FOUNtrI\TIç¡N
o Express numbers in the form a x 10" where n Solve problems involving stondord form
I
is on integerond < a < iO.
a Colculote with numbers in stondord form,
C
Powers of ten:
100=10x10=102
10OO = 10 x 10 x 10 = 103
Fxlending this idea:
10000 = 10 x 10 x 10 x 1O= 104
100000 = 10s
1 0OO00O = 106
and so on.
The power of 10 is called the index.
powers of 10' ln this
standard form is a way of writing very large and very small numbers using
form, a number is given a value between i and 10 multiplied by a power of 10' That is,
a x lO"where 1 ( a ( 10, and n is a whole number'
Look at these examples to see how numbers are written in stanclard form'
52= 5.2x10=5.2x101
73 = 7.3 x10 = 7.3 x 101
625 = 6.25 x 100 = 6.25 x 102 The numbers in bold are in standard form.
389= 3.89 x 1OO=3.89 x102
3147 =3.147 x 1000= 3.147 x1O3
When writing a number in this way, you must always follow two rules.
o The first part must be a number between 1 and 1 0 (1 is allowed but 1 0 isn't)'
10' Note that you
o The second part must be a whole-number (negative or positive) power of
would not normally write the power 1'
you need to be able to use and manipulate the numbers in standard form both with a calculator
and without one.
Sfondord form on o cqlculqfor
lnstead, you
A number such as 123000000000 is obviously difficultto key into a calculator.
enter it in stanclarclform (assttming you are using a scientific calculator):
1 23 000 000 000 = 1 .23 x 1 011
The key strokes to enter this into your calculator could be something like
this:
¡lraE@¡l¡l
your calculator display will display the number either as an ordinary number, if there is enough
space, or in standai¿ i'ot*. Make sure you know how to use standard
form on your calculator'
Õ
GHAPTER 9: Standand for-m
Stondqrd form of numbers less fhon I
We use a negative index for numbers between 0 and 1:
0.1 = 10-1
0.01 = 10-2
0.001 = 1O-3
0.0001 = 1O-a
and so on.
For example:
0.000729=7.29x0.0001
= 7.29 x 1O-a in standard form
These numbers are written in standard form. Make sure that you understand how
they are formed
a 0.4=4x10-1 b 0.05=5x10-2 c O.OO7=7x103
d 0.123 = 1.23 x 1o-1 e 0.007 6s =7.68 x 10-3 r 0.9804 =9.804 x 10-l
s 0.0098 = 9.8 x 10-3 h O.0OO 00ZB = 7.8 x 10-6
On a calculator you would enter 1 .23 x 10-6, for example, as:
ETAE@fEI@
Try entering some of the numbers in a to h (above) into your calculator for practice.
Ð:ç{;{ å"7
Do this exercise without a calculator.
{Q These numbers are in standard form. Write them out in full.
a 2.5x102 u 3.45x10 c 4.67x10-3 ¿ 3.46x10
Gr 2.o7B9x1o-2 t 5.678xro3 s 2.46xr02 h 7.6xro3
¡ B.97x1Os ¡ 8.65x1O-3 k 6x107 , 5.67xl'.a
ilJ Write these numbers in standard form.
a 25O b 0.345 c 46700
d 3400000000 G! 20780000000 r 0.00056z8
g 2460 h 0.076 ¡ 0.000 76
¡ 0.0006 k 0.005 6Z r 56.0045
ln questions 3 to 5, write the numbers given in each statement in standard form.
¡f The popularion of lndia in 2003 was j 065 000 OOO.
{p The total land area of Asia is 4so40oo0 square kilometres.
GHAPTER 9: Standand fonm
The asteroid phaethon comes within 12 980000 rliles of the Sun. The astcroid
Pholus,
I an
at its furthest point, is a distance of 2997 million miles from the Earth. The closest
asteroid ever came to Earth was 93 000 miles from the planet.
I t1ow many times bigger is 3.2 x 1 06 than 3.2 x 104?
I Here are the distances of some planets from the Sun
Jupiter 778 milliorr kilonretres
Mercury 58 million kilometres
Pluto 5920 million kilometres
Write these distances in standard form.
! Here are some facts about a bacterium
Width 0.0000012 metres
Mass 0.000 000 000 000 95 grams
Write these numbers in standarcl form
using
Calculations involving very large or very small numbers can be done more easily
standard form.
you can enter numbers in a scientific calculator in standard form. This is done in differentways
with different models. Make sure you know how to do this with your calculator'
EXAMPLE I
A pixel on a compu7er ôcreen is 2 x 1O-z cm long by 7 x 1O-3 cm wiàe'
Whar,ieÍhe area of bhePixel?
Oive your anewer in elanàaràlorm
f he area is giv en by lenglh Nimeø wiàLh.
Areaincmz =2x1O-2 x7 x1O-Z
=1.4 x1O-a in sr'anàarà1orm.
When you use a calculator you can enter the numbers directly without any rearranging
Your calculator may give you the answer in standard form'
CI
CHAPTER 9: Standard fonm
fi
Do questions 1,2 and 3 without a calculator
! Write these numbers in standard form.
a 56.7 x 102 b 0.06 x 104
d O.O7 x 1O-2
e 56x10 f 2x3x 10s
s 2x102x35 h 23 million
I Work out the following. Cive your answers in standard form.
a 2x104x5.4x103 b 1.6x102x3x10a
c 2x1Oa x6x10a d 2x1Oax5.4xlO3
Gr 1.6x10-2x4x1Oa r 2x1¡ax6x1g-a
s (5x103)2 h exl,2)3
I Work out the following. Cive your answers in standard form.
a (5.4x104)+(Zx.lO3) b (4.8x102)+(3x104)
G! ('l .B x 104) + (9 x 10-2) 6 x10-4)
I A typical adult has about20000000000000 red blood cells. Each red blood cell has
a
mass of about 0.000 000 000 1 g. Write both of these numbers in standard form
and work
out the total mass of red blood cells in a typical adult.
¡f rhe Moon is a sphere with a radius of 1.2+ x 103 kilometres. The formula for
working out the surface area of a sphere is:
surface area = 4T,r2
Calculate the surface area of the Moon.
! rvaluut"fiwhen E= 1.5 x 103 and M =3 x1O-2,givingyouranswer in standard
! work out the value 12, " :2:giving your answer in standard form, correct ro
"f 1'4 x 1oz "
2 significant figures.
t A number is greater than 100 million and less than 1000 million.
write down a possible value of the number, in standard form.
Problems in astronomy can use very large numbers. Problems in science can
use very small
numbers. It ¡s better to use very large and very small numbers in standard form.
n1l
ilrtl
EXAMPLE E
--Íheñøf ancef romftlesunlolneEarlni;lS)míïlf onkm:
LiahN lrav elø ax 3.OO x 1O5 kml eeconà'
How lonq àoee lighl trom lhe )un lake Ío reach Nhe Earrh?
Dieï'ance = 15O OOO OOO = 1.5 x 1OB km
Time=àisNance+epeeà
= ('1.5 x 1oB) * (3.oo x1o5)
=5OO eeconàs (uøe a calculalorNo àorhie)
= B minuleeZO eeconàe
ffi A man puts one grain of rice on the first square of a chess
board, i*o on the second square, four on the third, eight
on the fourth and so on. Compare Powers of 2
with the running totals.
a How many grains of rice will he put on the 64th square By the fourth square You
of the board? have I grains altogether,
and 23 = 8.
b How many grains of rice will there be altogether?
Cive your answers in standard form.
area of
{!æ the surface area of the Earth is approximately 3.2 x 108 square^kilometres. The
the Earth,s surface that is covered by waLer is approxim ately 2.2 x 10ö square
kilometres'
a Calculate the area of the Earth's surface not covered by water' Civc your answer
in standard form.
b what percentage of the Earth's surface is not covered by water?
ln 2oog, British Airways carried 33 million passenSers. of these, 70% passed
@
*
through Heathrow Airport. On average, each passenger carried 19'7 kgof luggage'
Calculate the total mass of the luggage carried by these passengers.
@ ln 2009 the world population was approximately 6.77 x 10e. ln 2010 the world
population was approximately 6'85 x 10e'
a By how much did the population rise? Cive your answer as an ordinary number
u What was the Percentage increase?
C
CHAPTER 9l Standand fonm
,5, Here are four numbers written in standard form.
T
1.6 x 1oa 4.8 x 106 3.2 x 1o2 6.4 x 103
I
G
a Work out the smallest answer when two of these numbers are multiplied together I
b t
Work out the largest answer when two of these numbers are added together.
Cive your answers in standard form.
t
. 6 , The mass of Saturn is 5.686 x
1026 tonnes. The mass of the Earth is 6.04 x 1021
tonnes. How many times heavier is Saturn than the Earth? Cive your answer in
standard form to a suitable degree of accuracy.
,7, Here are the populations of some countries
a Which country has the largest population? Tunisia 9.83 x 1
u Which two countries have a very similar
Denmark 5.36 x 10b
population size? Senegal 1 .01 x 10'
Jamaica 2.65 x 10b
c Find the total population of Senegal,
Mexico 1 .03 x 10ö
Denmark and Jamaica, in standard form to
two significant figures.
lndia 1.O7 x 1Oe
d Complete this sentence:
The population of Mexico is approximately times larger than the population of
Denmark.
e Complete this sentence:
The population of lndia is approximately ... times larger than the population of
Jamaica
'.*!-, Th is table shows the popu lations and the areas of five different countries.
Russian Federation 1.43 x 1 1.71 x 1
Sri Lanka 1.91 x 1O/ 6.56 x 1Oa
Thailand 6.28 x 107 5.13 x 10s
Togo 4.91 x 106 5.68 x 105
Iran 6.89 x 1O/ 1 .65 x 10b
a Which country has the smallest population?
b Which country has the smallest area?
The population density is the population divided by the area.
c Which country has the largest population density?
d Which country has the smallest population density?
G! What fraction of the area of the Russian Federation is the area of Sri Lanka?
Cive your answer in the form
fi
O
' Technology is increosingly importont in our lives. lt helps us
i do mony things more efficiently thon we could without it'
Hundreds of years ago people in different countries had
di{Terent systems ol rneasurelrrent. They were o[terl Lr¿scd
rr¡L h,,--^
urr +h^
^^ vvvf / o o +ha lenofh
r¡urrrurt l-,^.1., ."'.ö''. nf neonle'c hands- arms
"'r-"r'-
or fee! but they all varied and all had different names.
Eil Yard
Cubit English Ell
French Ell
Now the world has an official standard system of Span
Fathom
measurement - the metric system. This is especially
important for scientists so they can work together
worldwide. lt is also hclpful for everyone who needs to
compare lengths, masses/ volumes and so on between
6 Feet
different countries.
We also have more help now in calcrrlating complicated
measurements like volume. Calculating aids have been
used for thousands of years. ln about 2000 BCE the abacus
was being used in Egypt and China.
7x1= 7
7 x2=
Boord
7 x3= 1
7x4= I
7x5=
7x6=
7 x7=
Abacuses are still widely rrsed in China today and they were
used everywhere for almost 3500 years, untilJohn Napier
7x8= 6
devised a calculating aid called Napier's bones. 7 x9=
WWWWWW
Napier's bones
These led to the invention of the s/ide rulelry Williarrr
Oughtred in 1622. This was in use until the mid-1960s'
Engìneers working on the first ever moon landings used
slide rules to do some of their calculations.
The first electronic computers were produced in the mid-2Oth century.when the.
transistorwas invented, the power increased and the costand size decreased untilthe
point where the average scientific calculator that students use in schools has more
computing power than the first craft that went into space'
