Scientific notation: power of ten, step by step
Writing a standard number in scientific notation has two parts.
The question
700000
700000=▢ × 10▢
700000
70000
7000
700
70
7
700000=7 × 10⁵
- Scientific notation writes a number as something between 1 and 10, times a power of ten. The question is where the point has to sit for that.
- Move the point until exactly one non-zero digit is in front of it: 7. Count the places — that is 5.
- The point moved 5 places, so the power is 5. 700000 = 7 × 10⁵.
How it works.
- 01
Scientific notation writes a number as something between 1 and 10, times a power of ten. The question is where the point has to sit for that.
- 02
Move the point until exactly one non-zero digit is in front of it: 7. Count the places — that is 5.
- 03
The point moved 5 places, so the power is 5. 700000 = 7 × 10⁵.