SOLUTION: How do I convert this to scientific notation? 0.000000309

Question 462036: How do I convert this to scientific notation? 0.000000309
Found 2 solutions by solver91311, math-vortex:
Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Move the decimal point one place at a time until it is between the 3 and the 0 following the 3. Count the number of places you moved it. Write:

Where is the number of places you moved the decimal point.

John

My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it

Answer by math-vortex(648) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
How do I convert this to scientific notation? 0.000000309
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Scientific notation is a useful way to represent very large---or very small---numbers. (Who really wants to write all those zeroes?)
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Numbers in scientific notation look like this:
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[a decimal number greater than or equal to 1, and less than 10] x [10 raised to some power]
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Let's look at your number, 0.000000309
That's 309 billionths, but 309 is too big a number for scientific notation. We need a number between 1 and 10...a number like 3.09 hundred billionths. One hundred billion is 10 raised to the negative 9th power.
.

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An easy way to decide how many powers of ten you have is to count the number of decimal places you move to get a number between 1 and 10. We move 9 places to the right to change 0.000000309 into 3.09. That's equivalent to 10^(-9).
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I hope this helps! Scientific notation can be hard to understand at first, but once you get it, it's very useful, and kind of fun (in a geeky sort of way!)
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Here are two good websites for learning scientific notation:
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http://www.purplemath.com/modules/exponent3.htm
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and
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http://www.khanacademy.org/video/scientific-notation-1?playlist=Algebra%20I%20Worked%20Examples
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Ms.Figgy
math.in.the.vortex
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