Question

What is scientific or exponential notation?

Answer 1

Scientists and engineers often work with very large or very small numbers, which are more easily expressed in exponential form or scientific notation. A classic chemistry example of a number written in scientific notation is Avogadro's number (6.022 x 10²³). Scientists commonly perform calculations using the speed of light (3.0 x 10⁸ m/s). An example of a very small number is the electrical charge of an electron (1.602 x 10^-19Coulombs).