What is scientific notation used for?

Scientific notation is a mathematical notation that allows us to express very large or very small numbers in a more manageable form. It simplifies calculations and makes it easier to read and interpret these values, particularly in fields such as science and engineering where such numbers are frequently encountered.

In scientific notation, a number is expressed as the product of a coefficient (a number between 1 and 10) and a power of ten. For example, the number 300,000 can be written as 3.0 × 10^5 and the number 0.000045 can be expressed as 4.5 × 10^-5. This format provides a clear way to show scale, emphasize significant digits, and perform calculations that would be cumbersome with standard decimal notation.

Using scientific notation is particularly beneficial when dealing with measurements like the distance between stars, the size of atoms, or constants in physics, where numbers can vary widely in magnitude. This practical utility underlines its primary purpose, distinguishing it from other options like expressing percentages, indicating probabilities, or finding rational numbers, which serve entirely different functions in mathematics.