Scientific notation is a method of writing very large or very small numbers in a more compact and standardized form. It consists of a number between 1 and 10, multiplied by a power of 10.
Scientific notation is used in science because it allows for easier representation and comparison of extremely large or small numbers. It also helps to avoid writing out long strings of zeros, which can be prone to error.
To convert a number to scientific notation, move the decimal point to create a number between 1 and 10. Count the number of places you moved the decimal point and use that as the power of 10. For example, if the original number is 240,000,000, the scientific notation would be 2.4 x 10^8.
To express numbers in scientific notation using the SI prefix, simply multiply the number by the corresponding power of 10. For example, if the number is 0.0056, you would multiply it by 10^-3 to get 5.6 x 10^-6, which can also be written as 5.6 μ.
The proper way to express numbers in scientific notation on a report or paper is to write the number in standard form (e.g. 3,200,000) followed by the SI prefix and the power of 10 (e.g. 3.2 x 10^6). Make sure to include a space between the number and the SI prefix, and use a superscript for the power of 10.