Standard Form:
Converting,
Operations and
Problem Solving
What is Standard Form?
● Standard form is a way of writing very
large or very small numbers
● Written as: a × 10ⁿ where 1 ≤ a < 10 and n
is an integer
● Examples:
● 3,500 = 3.5 × 10³
● 0.00045 = 4.5 × 10⁻⁴
● Used widely in science and engineering
Converting to Standard
Form: Large Numbers
● Move decimal point left until number is
between 1 and 10
● Count how many places you moved
● Write as a × 10ⁿ where n = number of
places moved right
● Example: 45,000 → 4.5 × 10⁴
Converting to Standard Form: Small Numbers
● Move decimal point right until number is between 1 and 10
● Count how many places you moved
● Write as a × 10⁻ⁿ where n = number of places moved left
● Example: 0.00678 → 6.78 × 10⁻³
Adding Numbers in
Standard Form
● Convert to same power of 10
● Add the numbers
● Convert answer to standard form
● Example: (3.2 × 10⁴) + (4.5 × 10³)
● = (3.2 × 10⁴) + (0.45 × 10⁴)
● = 3.65 × 10⁴
Subtracting Numbers in Standard Form
● Convert to same power of 10
● Subtract the numbers
● Convert answer to standard form
● Example: (8.1 × 10⁵) - (4.2 × 10⁴)
● = (8.1 × 10⁵) - (0.42 × 10⁵)
● = 7.68 × 10⁵
Multiplying Numbers in Standard Form
● Multiply the numbers
● Add the powers
● Example: (2.3 × 10³) × (1.5 × 10⁴)
● = (2.3 × 1.5) × 10³⁺⁴
● = 3.45 × 10⁷
Dividing Numbers in Standard Form
● Divide the numbers
● Subtract the powers
● Example: (6.4 × 10⁵) ÷ (2.0 × 10²)
● = (6.4 ÷ 2.0) × 10⁵⁻²
● = 3.2 × 10³
Easy Problem 1:
Distance to Moon
● Problem: The moon is 384,400 km from
Earth. Express this in standard form.
● Solution: Move decimal point 5 places left
● 384,400 = 3.844 × 10⁵ km
Easy Problem 2: Microscopic Size
● Problem: A bacteria is 0.000002 meters long. Write in
standard form.
● Solution: Move decimal point 6 places right
● 0.000002 = 2 × 10⁻⁶ meters
Easy Problem 3: Population
● Problem: World population is 7,800,000,000. Express in
standard form.
● Solution: Move decimal point 9 places left
● 7,800,000,000 = 7.8 × 10⁹ people
Medium Problem 1:
Space Travel
● Problem: A spacecraft travels (2.4 × 10⁶)
km then another (3.8 × 10⁵) km. Find total
distance.
● Solution: Convert to same power
● (2.4 × 10⁶) + (0.38 × 10⁶)
● Total = 2.78 × 10⁶ km
Medium Problem 2: Cell Division
● Problem: If one cell splits into (2.0 × 10³) cells, and each of
these splits into (1.5 × 10²) cells, how many cells total?
● Solution: Multiply
● (2.0 × 10³) × (1.5 × 10²)
● = 3.0 × 10⁵ cells
Medium Problem 3: Chemical Solution
● Problem: A solution contains (4.5 × 10⁻³) g/ml. How much in
(2.0 × 10²) ml?
● Solution: Multiply quantities
● (4.5 × 10⁻³) × (2.0 × 10²)
● = 9.0 × 10⁻¹ g
Practice Problems - Easy Level
● 1. Convert 256,000 to standard form
● 2. Write 0.00034 in standard form
● 3. Add (3.0 × 10⁴) + (4.0 × 10⁴)
Practice Problems - Medium Level
● 1. Multiply (2.5 × 10³) × (4.0 × 10⁴)
● 2. Divide (6.4 × 10⁵) ÷ (1.6 × 10²)
● 3. Add (2.4 × 10⁵) + (3.6 × 10⁴)
Solutions - Easy Level
● 1. 256,000 = 2.56 × 10⁵
● 2. 0.00034 = 3.4 × 10⁻⁴
● 3. (3.0 × 10⁴) + (4.0 × 10⁴) = 7.0 × 10⁴
Solutions - Medium Level
● 1. (2.5 × 10³) × (4.0 × 10⁴) = 1.0 × 10⁸
● 2. (6.4 × 10⁵) ÷ (1.6 × 10²) = 4.0 × 10³
● 3. (2.4 × 10⁵) + (3.6 × 10⁴) = 2.76 × 10⁵
Key Points to Remember
● Always check if your answer is in proper standard form (1 ≤
a < 10)
● Pay attention to negative powers for small numbers
● When adding/subtracting, numbers must have same power
of 10
● For multiplication/division, multiply/divide numbers and
add/subtract powers
● Practice regularly to improve speed and accuracy
Additional Resources
● Use calculator's EXP or ×10ˣ button for
calculations
● Practice with real-world examples from
science and engineering
● Create your own problems using large and
small numbers
● Remember to check units in word
problems
