Scientificnotationwordproblems

Using Scientific Notation in Real Life Situations

With a partner, highlight any keys words that will help you to decide what operation is needed to solve each of these
problems.

Approximately,howmuchfurtherfromthesunisSaturnthanEarth.
Earthisapproximately9.3107milesfromthesunandSaturnisapproximately8.87108milesfrom
thesun.

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Scientificnotationwordproblems

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Scientificnotationwordproblems

The nucleus of a human cell is about

7 x 10-6 meter in diameter.
A ribosome, another part of a cell, is
about 3 x 10-8 meter in diameter.
Approximately how many times larger
is a nucleus than a ribosome?

7 x 10-6
3 x 10-8

= 2.33... x 102

Scientificnotationwordproblems

The mass of Earth is about

1.3 x 1025
The mass of Jupiter is about
4.2 x 1027
About how many times
Earth's mass is Jupiter's
mass?

4.2 x 1027

1.3 x 1025

= 3.230... x 102

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Medium - answer questions 1, 3, 4, 6

Hard - answer questions 2, 5, 7

calculator

Difficult - answer questions 2, 5, 7

non-calculator

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Question 1

Apixelonacomputerscreenis
2 102cmlongby7 103cmwide.
Whatistheareaofthepixel?
Question 2

ThestarBetelgeuseis1.8 1015milesfrom
Earth.
Lighttravelsat1.86 105milespersecond.

Howmanysecondsdoesittakelighttotravel
fromBetelgeusetoEarth?
Giveyouranswerinscientificnotation.

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Question 3
Atypicaladulthasabout20000000000000redcorpuscles.
Eachredcorpuscleweighsabout0.0000000001gram.
Writebothofthesenumbersinscientificnotationandworkout
thetotalmassofredcorpusclesinatypicaladult.

Question 4

EvaluateE
M
2
3
whenE=1.5 10 andM=3 10 ,
givingyouranswerinscientificnotation.
Question 5
Workoutthevalueof
givingyouranswerinscientificnotation,correcttotwosignificantfigures.

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Question 6
Manypeoplewithdrawmoneyfromtheirbanksbyusing
holeinthewallmachines.
Eachdaythereareeightmillionwithdrawalsfrom32000
machines.
Whatistheaveragenumberofwithdrawals
permachine?

Question 7
ThemassofSaturnis5.686 1026tonnes.The
massoftheEarthis6.04 1021tonnes.
HowmanytimesheavierisSaturnthantheEarth?
Giveyouranswerinstandardformtoasuitable
degreeofaccuracy.

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Answers
Qu 1
2 x 10-2 x 7 x 10-3
(2 x 7) x (10-2x 10-3)
14 x 10-5
1.4 x 10-4

Qu 3
2 x 1013 x 1 x 10-10
(2 x 1) x (1013x 10-10)
2 x 103

Qu 2
1.8 x 1015 1.86 x 105
(1.8 1.86) x (1015 105)
0.96774... x 1010
9.6774... x 109

Qu 4
1.5 x 103 3 x 10-2
(1.5 3) x (103 10-2)
0.5 x 105
5 x 104

Qu 6
3.2 x 104 8 x 106
(3.2 8) x (104 106)
0.4 x 10-2
4 x 10-3

Qu 5
3.2 x 107 1.4 x 102
(3.2 4) x (107 102)
2.2857... x 105
2.3 x 105

Qu 7
5.686 x 1026 6.04 x 1021
(5.686 6.04) x (1026 1021)
0.94139.. x 105
9.4139 x 104

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Scientificnotationwordproblems

Answers to word problems