Scientific notations and dealing with big and

small numbers

October 23, 2023

1 Scientific notations
Working with large and small numbers is much easier when we write them in
a special format known as scientific notation. Our number system is based
on powers of 10. We use tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on. Our decimal
numbers are also based on powers of tens—tenths, hundredths, thousandths,
and so on.
Consider the numbers 4000 and 0.004. We know that 4000 means 4 × 1000
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0.004 means 4 × . If we write the 1000 as a power of ten in exponential
1000
form, we can rewrite these numbers in this way:

4000 0.0004
1
4 × 1000 4×
1000
1
4 × 103 4× 3
10
4 × 10−3

When a number is written as a product of two numbers, where the first factor
is a number greater than or equal to one but less than 10, and the second
factor is a power of 10 written in exponential form, it is said to be in scientific
notation.

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 Definition 1

A positive number is written in scientific notation if it is written as

a × 10n where the absolute value of coefficient a is 1 ≤ a < 10, and n
is an exponent.

It is customary to use the multiplication symbol, ×, rather than a dot,

when writing a number in scientific notation.

1.1 Properties of scientific notation

To determine the power or exponent of 10, we must follow the rule listed
below:

• The base should be always 10 (e.g., 490000000 = 4.9 × 108 ).

• The exponent must be a non-zero integer, that means it can be either

positive or negative (e.g., 1230000000 = 1.23 × 109 ).

• The absolute value of the coefficient is greater than or equal to 1 but

it should be less than 10.

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 • Coefficients can be positive or negative numbers including whole and
decimal numbers (e.g., −490000000 = −4.9 × 108 ).

• The mantissa carries the rest of the significant digits of the number
(e.g., 280 = 2.8 × 102 , the mantissa is 2.8).

1.2 Converting from Scientific to Decimal Notation

• Determine the exponent, n, on the factor 10.

• Move the decimal n places, adding zeros if needed.

– If the exponent is positive, move the decimal point n places to the

right.
– If the exponent is negative, move the decimal point |n| places to
the left.

• Check.

Example 1
Converting from Scientific to Decimal Notation

• It is predicted that the world population in 2025 may reach 8 × 109 .

• Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and its mass in scientific
notation is about 1.9 × 1027 .

Solution

• It is predicted that the world population in 2025 may reach 8000000000.

• Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and its mass in scientific
notation is about 1900000000000000000000000000.

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Practice Exercises
Text Book 1, Section 3B (page no. 152)

• Exercises 15, 16.

1.3 Converting from Decimal to Scientific Notation

• Move the decimal point so that the first factor is greater than or equal
to 1 but less than 10.

• Count the number of decimal places, n, that the decimal point was
moved.

• Write the number as a product with a power of 10. If the original

number is.

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 – greater than 1, the power of 10 will be 10n .
– between 0 and 1, the power of 10 will be 10−n .

• Check.

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Practice Exercises
Text Book 1, Section 3B (page no. 152)

• Exercises 17, 18.

2 Dealing with big and small numbers

Scientific notation is the way that scientists easily handle very large numbers
or very small numbers.

Large Numbers Small Numbers

Decimal Notation Scientific Notation Decimal Notation Scientific Notation

500.0 5 × 102 0.05 5 × 10−2
80000.0 8 × 104 0.00008 8 × 10−4
43000000.0 4.3 × 107 0.00000043 4.3 × 10−7

Addition and Subtraction with Scientific No-

tation
In general, we must write numbers in ordinary notation before adding or
subtracting.

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Example 3

a. (3 × 106 ) + (5 × 102 ) = 3, 000, 000 + 500

= 3, 000, 500
= 3.0005 × 106
b. (4.6 × 10 ) − (5 × 10 ) =
9 8
4, 600, 000, 000 − 500, 000, 000
= 4, 100, 000, 000
= 4.1 × 109

When both numbers have the same power of 10, we can factor out the
power of 10 first.

Multiplying or Dividing with Scientific Notation

Example 4

a. (3 × 102 ) × (2 × 103 ) = (3 × 2) × (102 × 103 )

= 6 × 102+3
= 6 × 105
4 × 10−2 4 10−2
b. = ×
2 × 10−4 2 10−4
= 2 × 10−2+4
= 2 × 102

3 Approximation with scientific notation

In mathematics, to approximate is to find or use a number acceptably close to
an exact value. Scientific notation can help us approximate answers without
a calculator.

Example 5
Approximate the answer to 5795 × 326 by rounding 5795 to 6000 and 326
to 300.

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Solution

5795 × 326 ≈ 6000 × 300

= 6 × 103 × 3 × 102
= (6 × 3) × (103 × 102 )
= 18 × 105
= 18, 00, 000
5795 × 326 ≈ 18, 00, 000

Practice Exercises
Text book 1, Unit 3B (page no. 152)

• Exercises 27, 28.

4 Applications of Scientific Notation: Putting

Numbers in Perspective
Due to tax cuts and spending increases, the United States began accumu-
lating large defi cits in the 1980s. To fi nance the deficit, the government
had borrowed $15.2 trillion as of December 2011. The graph in Figure P.10
shows the national debt increasing over time.

Example
As of December 2011, the national debt was $15.2 trillion, or 15.2 × 1012
dollars. At that time, the U.S. population was approximately 312, 000, 000
(312 million), or 3.12 × 108 . If the national debt was evenly divided among
every individual in the United States, how much would each citizen have to
pay?

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4.1 Perspective Through Estimation
Estimation in mathematics refers to the process of making an approximate or
educated guess about the value or magnitude of a quantity or measurement.

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Practice Exercises
Text book 1, Unit 3B (page no. 152)

• Exercises 29 - 38.

4.2 Perspective Through Comparisons

A second general way to put numbers in perspective is by making compar-
isons. Comparison in mathematics involves examining two or more numbers,
quantities, objects, or mathematical expressions to determine their relation-
ship or relative magnitudes.

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Practice Exercises
Text book 1, Unit 3B (page no. 153)

• Exercises 39 - 46.

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