Add/Subtract: Make exponents equal first, then add/subtract coefficients
Normalize: Adjust so 1 ≤ |coefficient| < 10 after any operation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is scientific notation?
Scientific notation expresses a number as a × 10ⁿ where 1 ≤ |a| < 10. For example, 93,000,000 = 9.3 × 10⁷. It's used to write very large or very small numbers more compactly in science and engineering.
How do you multiply numbers in scientific notation?
Multiply the coefficients and add the exponents. Example: (3 × 10⁴) × (2 × 10³) = (3 × 2) × 10^(4+3) = 6 × 10⁷. Then normalize if needed.
How do you add numbers in scientific notation?
First make both exponents equal by adjusting the smaller one. Then add the coefficients. Example: 3 × 10⁴ + 2 × 10³ = 3 × 10⁴ + 0.2 × 10⁴ = 3.2 × 10⁴.
What is the difference between scientific notation and E notation?
They mean the same thing. E notation (used by calculators and computers) writes 3.5 × 10⁷ as 3.5E7 or 3.5e7. The E stands for "× 10^".