Students learn scientific notation — a compact way to write very large or very small numbers as a number between 1 and 10 times a power of 10 — so they can handle everything from the distance to stars to the size of atoms.
Students will be able to…
The Sun is 150,000,000,000 meters away, and an atom is 0.0000000001 meters wide. How can we write such numbers without so many zeros?
Project this and change the coefficient and the power of 10. Watch the standard-form number grow huge or shrink tiny as the exponent changes.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
150,000,000,000 — is there a shorter way to write this?
Teacher models.
Class drives the Notation Converter.
Students convert numbers.
One conversion.
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, including the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Use numbers expressed as a single digit times a power of 10 to estimate very large or small quantities.
Perform operations with numbers in scientific notation.
Know and apply the properties of integer exponents.
Attend to precision when moving the decimal.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students multiply and divide numbers in scientific notation by combining the coefficients and adding/subtracting the exponents. A printable operations sheet is in the Math library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.