Purposes of Scientific Notation

• Express very small and very large numbers in a compact notation.

  • 2.0 x 108 instead of 200,000,000
  • 3.5 x 10-7 instead of 0.00000035

• Express numbers in a notation that also indicates the precision of the number.

  • What is meant if two cities are said to be separated by a “distance of 3,000 miles”?

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