Unit 1

Quantities & Units

Part B: Scientific Notation
What will you learn?
 Represent very large and very small numbers in
scientific notation.
 Perform arithmetic operations on numbers in
scientific notation.

Scientific Notation
2
Example of an extremely large number:
 Have you ever wondered how far is the sun from
us?
 149,597,870,700 m
Or after rounded up
 150,000,000,000 m
Or using km
 150,000,000 km

Scientific Notation
3
Another extremely large number:
 What is the mass of the earth?
 6,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg

Scientific Notation
4
Example of an extremely small number:
 Estimate the thickness of your hair.
 Let’s say, 0.0000254 m

Scientific Notation
5
Writing a number in scientific notation:
b

Number n = a × 10
 where ‘a’ is the coefficient and is a real number,
 the exponent ‘b’ is an integer.
 1 ≤ |a|< 10
 i.e. −10 < a ≤ −1 or 1 ≤ a < 10

−10 −1 1 10

Scientific Notation
6
Express the distance, 346.2 km, between KL
and Singapore in scientific notation.
1 ≤ |a|< 10

346.2 km = 3.462 102 km

Only one digit integer before
the decimal point.
±1, ±2, …, or ±9 but not 0.

Scientific Notation
7
The speed of light in vacuum is approximately
equal to 300,000 km/s. Express it in scientific
notation.
300,000 km/s = 3.00000 105
5   4
= 3 105 km/s
3  2  1

Scientific Notation
8
The diameter of a strand of hair is measured
to be 0.0000254 m. Express it in scientific
notation.
0.0000254 m = 2.54 10−5 m
1  2   3  4  5

Scientific Notation
9
 6 5
 Add 2.56 × 10 to 8.18 × 10 and express the result in scientific
notation.
 Two numbers to be added must have the same exponent.
 You can convert either number so that both have the same exponent.
10

8.18 × 105 = 0.818 × 106

÷10

 Add the coefficients of the two numbers of same exponent.

(2.56 + 0.818) × 106 = 3.378 × 106
Scientific Notation
10
 −8 −7
Subtract 9.84 × 10 from 4.12 × 10 and
express the result in scientific notation.
 Two numbers to be added must have the same exponent.
 (4.12 × 10−7) − (9.84 × 10−8)  (4.12 × 10−7) − (9.84 × 10−8)
= (4.12 × 10−7) − (0.984 × 10−7) = (41.2 × 10−8) − (9.84 × 10−8)
= (4.12 − 0.984) × 10 −7
= (41.2 − 9.84) × 10−8
−8
= 3.136 × 10 −7
= 31.36 × 10
= 3.136 × 10−7

Scientific Notation
11
 −2 5
Multiply 1.65 × 10 and 3.02 × 10 and express
the result in scientific notation.
 Two numbers performing multiplication do not require
same exponent.
−2 5
(1.65 × 10 ) × (3.02 × 10 )
= (1.65 × 3.02) × (10−2 × 105)
−2+5
= (1.65 × 3.02) × 10
3
= 4.983 × 10
Scientific Notation
12
 4 5
Divide 7.88 × 10 by 1.2 × 10 and express the
result in scientific notation.
 Two numbers performing division do not require same
exponent.
−1
= 6.567 × 10

Scientific Notation
13
What you have learned?
 Represent very large and very small numbers
in scientific notation.
 Perform arithmetic operations on numbers in
scientific notation.

Scientific Notation
14
Coming Up Next
Engineering Notation

Scientific Notation
15