Scientific Notation

Set: The teacher will present the speed of light on the power point, 300,000,000
m/sec and the mass of a dust particle, 0.000 000 000 753 kg. Scientist has
developed a shorter method to express very large numbers. This method is
called scientific notation. Scientific Notation is based on powers of the base
number 10.

Objective: The learner will apply scientific notation to 5+ number digits with an
80% accuracy on then given practice problems.

Purpose: The students will convert extremely large in to extremely small. To

save time writing, scientist wrote these numbers in scientific notation to make it
easier. Students will use and understand that exponents are used to represent
large numbers greater than one. In addition, students will use negative
exponents to express measurement values less than one.

T1:
Teacher will review values of exponents and demonstrate patterns between
positive and negative exponents. How exponents work in multiples of 10.
Examples:
103 = 10x10x10 = 1000

102 = 10x10 = 100

101 = 10 = 10

100 = 1

10-1 = 1/10 = 0.1

10-2 = 1/100 = 0.01

10-3 = 1/1000 = 0.001

1. The number 123,000,000,000 in scientific notation is written as:

1.23x 1011
a. The first number 3.21 is called the coefficient. It must be greater than or
equal to 1 and less than 10.
b. The second number is called the base. The base number 10 is always
written in exponent form. In the number 1.23 x 1011 the number 11 is referred to
as the exponent or power of ten.
c. How to write a number in scientific notation?
 Put the decimal after the first digit and drop the zeroes.
1.23 Coefficient
To find the exponent, you start by counting the number of places from the
decimal to the end of the number.
1.23000000000
In this number there are 11 places (zeros).
Thus it is written as 1.23 x1011

4. For small numbers we use a similar approach. Numbers smaller than 1 will
have a negative exponent. A millionth of a second is:

0.000001 sec. or 1.0 x 10 -6

T2:

Now as a group we will do the problems together while checking for

understanding.

12,380
426,356,000
0.0000211
0.0000000238

T3:
Practice Problem for students:

1. 154,600,000 = 1.546 X 108

2. 83,000,000 = 8.3 X 107
3. 0.000 042 43 4.243 X 10-5
4. 0.000 003 = 3.0 X 10-6

Closure:

On a separate sheet of paper, I would the students to explain how to write

numbers in scientific notation if the number is large and small.