When we write numbers in scientific notation, we usually use the powers of ten to show how big or small the number is.
To represent 3,670,000,000, a value greater than or equal to one, in standard form (a×10b), you should follow the below procedure:
-
First, move the decimal place to the left until only one number is at the front. The number cannot be 0 (e.g., 3.67).
-
This number at the front represents a
. In the above example, a
is 3.
-
Next, count the number of places by which you moved the decimal point. The number of decimal places represents b
. In the above example, b
is 9.
-
Because the decimal place has moved to the left, b
is positive.
-
When we write 3,670,000,000 in standard form, the answer is 3.67×109.
-
You can repeat the above steps for negative numbers, but they must be equal to or lower than minus one. You can also use our billion to trillion converter to obtain the same answer.
We use the same formula above to represent a number in its standard form whose absolute value is less than one. However, the process is a little different. Here are the steps:
-
First, move the decimal place to the right until the number in front of the decimal is greater than 0. For example, the number we are changing to the standard form is 0.0000008956. When we move the decimal place, a
will be 8. The number will look like this 8.956.
-
Next, we need to count the number of places that the decimal has moved. This number represents b
(b = -7
).
Note: Because we moved the decimal place to the right, b
is negative.
- Next, rewrite the formula using the numbers. In the standard form, the answer is 8.956 x 10-7.