Lesson 9: Scientific Notation

In case you find it difficult to answer the activities in this module, don’t hesitate to consult your teacher or
assigned facilitator. You can also ask help from your mother or father, or anyone who is older than you at home.
Remember that you are not alone in this new normal education.

We are hoping that through this module, you will experience a meaningful learning and you will get a
deeper understanding about the competencies. You can do it!

This module was written for you to accomplish at home. It was carefully designed so that you can work at
your own pace and allow self-discovery of the concept through activities that you will perform. Activities were also
selected to allow independent learning which also aims to develop students’ reading comprehension skills through
understanding written texts.

Quarter / Week Topic Competencies Objectives

Quarter 1/ Week 9  Significant Figures  Writes  Identify numbers in scientific notation;
 Write numbers in numbers in  Explain the rules in writing scientific
scientific notation scientific notation to standard form and vice
 Write scientific notation versa; and
notation in numbers and vice  Write numbers in scientific notation to
versa. standard form and vice versa.
M7NSIi – 1

Let’s Try
Activity 1: Arranging Numbers!
Direction: Arrange the given numbers inside the box from smallest to biggest. Write your answer in a separate
sheet of paper.

0.01 0.001 0.0001 10 000 1 000 000

10 0.00001 1000 0.000001

Let’s Explore
Activity 2: Writing numbers as a Product of 10
Direction: Write the letter of the correct scientific notation that corresponds the number.

Let’s Dig
Lesson 9. 1: Significant Figures
In writing scientific notation significant figures are to be considered. Like this number 0.000 000 087, how
many significant digits are there?
Scientific Notation is a shorthand way of writing numbers denoted by 𝒂 𝒙 𝟏𝟎n, where 1≤ 𝑎 < 10 (𝑎 is
greater than or equal to 1 but less than 10) and n is an integer.
In writing numbers in scientific notation, all significant figures are to be considered. Significant figures are
the number of digits in a value that contribute to the degree of accuracy of the value. We start counting significant
figures at the first non-zero digit.

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 Rules Example
Rule 1: All non – zero numbers are always significant. 1,234 has 4 significant figures.
5,243 has 4 significant figures.
The numbers are all significant since all are nonzero
digit.
Rule 2: Zeros between two non – zero digits are 1, 001 has 4 significant figures.
always significant. 206 has 3 significant figures 2, 0 and 6
All digits in the given numbers are significant since the
zeros are between nonzero digits.
Rule 3: Leading zeros are NOT significant. 0.054 has only two significant figures 5 and 4. And
0.000312 has three significant figures 3, 1 and 2. The
zeros at the left of 5 and 3 are called leading zeros.
Rule 4: Trailing zeros to the right of a decimal number 92.00 has 4 significant figures 9, 2, 0 and 0. Then,
are significant. 19.000 has 5 significant figures 1, 9, 0, 0 and 0. Since,
the trailing zero are at the right of the decimal points,
so, the zeros are significant.
Rule 5: Trailing zeros in a whole number with the "540" indicates that the trailing zero is significant;
decimal shown are significant. there are three significant figures in this value.
Rule 6: Trailing zeros in a whole number with no "540" indicates that zero is NOT significant, and there
decimal shown are NOT significant. are only two significant figures in this value.

Lesson 9. 2: Writing Numbers in Scientific Notation

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje reported that there
was 25.4 percent of the total 100 billion budget for the first tranche of Social Amelioration Program cash
assistance was released to the targeted beneficiaries of the COVID 19 pandemic. If 100 billion is written in this
form 100, 000, 000, 000. How are we going to write this in scientific notation?
In writing numbers in scientific notation, the following steps are to be followed.
Steps Example
Step 1: Move the decimal point to the right of a non- 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.
zero digit.
Since the first nonzero digit of the given number is 1,
so the decimal point is moved to the left.
Step 2: Count the number of places you moved the 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.
decimal point.
11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Since, the number of places the decimal point moved
is 11, so the exponent of 10 is 11.
Step 3: The number of places the decimal point 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.
moved is the exponent of 10. If the decimal point is
moved to the left the exponent is positive. If it is 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
moved to the right, the exponent is negative. 1. 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

In illustration 1, the exponent of 10 is positive so, the

answer is 1.2x1011. While in illustration 2, the
exponent is moved to the left, so the exponent of 10
is negative. And the answer is 2.5 x107

Lesson 9. 3: Writing Scientific Notation to Standard Notation

One light-year is the distance light travels is one year. If the speed of light is 3 x 10 5 kilometers per second,
about how many kilometers does light travel in one year?
The following are the rules to follow in writing scientific notation to standard notation.
Positive Exponent Negative Exponent
Rule: In writing scientific notation to standard form, Rule: In writing scientific notation to standard form,
move the decimal point to the right for positive move the decimal point to the left for negative
exponent. exponent.
Example 1: Example 1:

3.128 x 103 = 3128 3.9 x 10-2 = .039

Since the exponent is positive 3, we will move the Since the exponent is negative 2, we will move the
decimal point three times to the right, so our answer is decimal point two times to the left, so our answer is
3128. 0.039.

Example 2: Example 2:
6. 12 x 10-5 = .0000612
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 6. 4 x 104 = 64 000

Since the exponent is positive 4, we will move the Since the exponent is negative 5, we will move the
decimal point four times to the right, so our answer is decimal point five times to the left, so our answer is
64 000. 0.0000612.

Let’s Do It
Activity 3: Fill Me In!
Direction: Fill in the blanks. Write your answers in a separate sheet of paper.

1. ____________ refers to the number of digits in a value that contribute to the degree of accuracy of the
value.
2. Very large and small numbers are usually written in ____________.
3. The ____________ of places the decimal point moved is very important in writing numbers in scientific
notation.
4. In the expression 𝑎 𝑥 10n, n is always an ___________.
5. If the decimal point is moved to the __________, then the exponent of 10 is positive.

Let’s Evaluate
Activity 4: Identifying Significant Figure
Direction: Give the number of significant figures and identify the rule used. Write your answer on a separate
sheet of paper.
Number No. of Significant Figures Ruled Used
Ex. 12.80 4 Rule 3
2. 5.87
3. 0.031
4. 52.90
5. 00.2001
6. 500

Activity 5: Writing Numbers in Scientific Notation

Direction: Write the following numbers in scientific notation by following the steps. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. 234 000 000 000

2. 123 500
3. 0. 000 340
4. 0. 000 002 540
5. 5 000

Activity 6: Fill Me In!

Direction: Fill in the blanks. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

A. Write each number in Scientific Notation.

Standard Notation Scientific Notation
1. The estimated population of the Philippines is
110 000 000.
2. The average width of human hair is 0.0008m.
3. Average number of Region X students who
enjoyed Mathematics classes is 1,340.

B. Write each number in Standard Notation.

Scientific Notation Standard Notation
1. Earth’s age is approximately 4.54 x 109 years.
2. The estimated number of cells in the human
body is 3.72 x 1013.
3. The diameter of a neuron is 4 x 10-3.

Self-check
Reflect and Rate Yourself!
Put a check mark ( ) on the column that shows your efficiency in answering the activities in
this lesson.
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 Rubrics:
3 - I understand and I am confident that I can teach this to others.
2 - I understand, but I cannot do it by myself.
1 - I understand some parts, but I still have questions.
0 - I don’t understand it at all! I need new activities or tasks.

Topic 3 2 1 0
Significant Figures
Write Numbers in Scientific
Notation
Write Scientific Notation in
Numbers

R efer en ces

Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC)

Adapted from Mathematics Learner’s Module 7.

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Email: rosalieauxtero96@gmail.com Lives,
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