Final answer:
Scientific notation is a compact way to write very large or small numbers using a coefficient and a power of ten. To express a number in this form, move the decimal to form a number between 1 and 10 and count the moves to determine the exponent. It simplifies arithmetic involving large numbers and is frequently used in sciences like chemistry.
Step-by-step explanation:
Scientific notation is a method used to represent very large or very small numbers in a compact form. This notation is composed of two parts: a coefficient and an exponent. The coefficient is a number between 1 and 10, and the exponent is an integer that represents the number of places the decimal point has been moved.
To convert a number into scientific notation, you should first move the decimal point to create a new number from 1 up to 10. This forms the coefficient. Then, count the number of places the decimal has moved; this will be your exponent. If the decimal moves to the left, your exponent is positive; if it moves to the right, your exponent is negative. For example, 2386 can be expressed as 2.386 × 103, as the decimal point has moved three places to the left.
Scientific notation simplifies calculations with large numbers, especially in fields like chemistry where such figures are common. Multiplying numbers in scientific notation involves multiplying the coefficients and adding the exponents. For instance, (3 × 105) × (2 × 100) = 6 × 1014.