SL 1.
1: Using Standard Form
Other contexts: Very large and very small numbers, for example astronomical distances, sub-atomic particles
in physics, global financial figures
Links to other subjects: Chemistry (Avogadro’s number); physics (order of magnitude); biology (microscopic
measurements); sciences group subjects (uncertainty and precision of measurement)
Match the real-life measurements to decimal and standard index form
Nucleus of an atom 0.00000000000001 m 1 × 10-14 m
Length of a virus 0.0000002 m 2 × 10-7 m
Diameter of the eye of a fly 0.0008 m 8 × 10-4 m
Diameter of a 1p coin 0.02 m 2 × 10-2 m
Height of a door 2m 2 x 100 m
Height of a tall skyscraper 400 m 4 × 102 m
Height of a mountain 8 000 m 8 × 103 m
Distance between two furthest
20 000 000 m 2 × 107 m
places on earth
Distance from earth to moon 400 000 000 m 4 × 108 m
Size of a galaxy 800 000 000 000 000 000 000 m 8 × 1020 m
1) Is each number below written in standard form? (YES or NO)
7 x 10-51 3.881 x 1037 6.923 73.383 x 1090
2 x 10-24 8 x 1059 3.7651 x 1078 6.007 x 15-98
2) Write as a normal number:
9.92 x 106 7 x 100 7 x 105 5.255 x 102
3) Write in standard form:
32006 45.5 2300 177500
4) Write as a normal number:
3 x 10-1 2.982 x 10-5 7.9 x 10-3 9.528 x 10-6
5) Write in standard form:
0.02 0.00054287 0.0000656 0.0000089
6) Write as a normal number:
8 x 10-3 5.286 x 100 2.1 x 106 2.14 x 10-2
7) Write in standard form:
0.0002508 33000 77.7 0.25799
8) Calculate the following, giving your answers in standard form:
(4 x 10-7) x (7 x 10-10) (3 x 1020) ÷ (6 x 1010)
(6.6 x 10-6) + (7.7 x 10-8) (5.3 x 10-9) – (6.8 x 10-10)
IBDP Exam Style Question
[Maximum mark: 6]
Consider the numbers 𝑝 = 2.78 × 10!! and 𝑞 = 3.12 × 10"# .
! $
a. Calculate ,% . Give your full calculator display. [2]
b. i. Write down your answer to part a. correct to two decimal places; [1]
ii. Write down your answer to part a. correct to three significant figures. [1]
c. Write your answer to part b.ii. in the form 𝑎 × 10& , where 1 ≤ 𝑎 < 10, 𝑘 ∈ ℤ. [2]
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
