Key Concepts: Scientific Notation

Core Definitions

• Scientific Notation: A way to express very large or very small numbers as a × 10ⁿ, where 1 ≤ a < 10.
• Coefficient: The number 'a' in scientific notation; must be between 1 and 10.
• Exponent: The power of 10 that indicates how many places the decimal moves.
• Positive Exponent: Indicates a large number; decimal moves to the right (e.g., 3.0 × 10³ = 3000).
• Negative Exponent: Indicates a small number; decimal moves to the left (e.g., 2.5 × 10⁻² = 0.025).
• Standard Form: Writing a number without scientific notation (e.g., 45000 instead of 4.5 × 10⁴).