Sci Notation Quiz

Light travels at a rate of 186,000 miles per second.  Write this number in scientific notation.

• 1.86 x 10⁵

• 1.86 x 10⁴

• 18.6 x 10⁴

• 186 x 10³

Answer explanation

To write 186,000 in scientific notation, move the decimal point to the left until there is only one non-zero digit to the left. This gives 1.86 x 10^5.

Write this number in standard form:  7.7 x 10⁹

• 7,700,000,000

• 7,700,000

• 7,000,000.000

• 70,000,000,000

Answer explanation

To write 7.7 x 10^9 in standard form, move the decimal point 9 places to the right, resulting in 7,700,000,000.

Write 3.2 x 10³ in standard form.

• 3.200

• 3200

• 32000

• .0032

Answer explanation

To write 3.2 x 10^3 in standard form, move the decimal point 3 places to the right, resulting in 3200. Therefore, the correct choice is 3200.

Convert the number 450,000 to scientific notation.

Answer explanation

To convert 450,000 to scientific notation, move the decimal point to the left until there is only one non-zero digit to the left. This gives 4.5 x 10^5, making the correct choice 4.5 x 10^5.

• 320

• 3,200

• 32,000

• 320,000

Answer explanation

To convert scientific notation to standard form, move the decimal point to the right by the exponent value. Therefore, 3.2 x 10^3 = 3,200.

Which of the following is the correct scientific notation for the number 0.00056?

Answer explanation

The correct scientific notation for 0.00056 is 5.6 \times 10^{-4} because the decimal point is moved 4 places to the right to make the number between 1 and 10.

• 0.0789

• 0.789

• 7.89

• 78.9

Answer explanation

To convert scientific notation to standard form, move the decimal point 2 places to the right. Therefore, 7.89 x 10^-2 = 0.789.

• 42,000,000,000,000,000

• 4,200,000,000,000,000

• 420,000,000,000,000

• 4,200,000,000,000

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 42,000,000,000,000,000 because the distance in standard form is 4.2 x 10^16, which translates to 42,000,000,000,000,000.

Express the number 0.0000071 in scientific notation.

Answer explanation

To express 0.0000071 in scientific notation, move the decimal point to the right until there is only one non-zero digit to the left. This gives 7.1 x 10^-7.

• 1,230

• 12,300

• 123,000

• 1,230,000

Answer explanation

To convert scientific notation to standard form, move the decimal point to the right by the exponent value. Therefore, 1.23 x 10^4 = 12,300.