Grade 8 Scientific Notation - Medium
A medium grade 8 worksheet for Scientific Notation.
Worksheet snapshot
- Scientific Notation
- Key concepts: Understanding core scientific notation concepts for Grade 8; Applying scientific notation strategies appropriate to Grade 8
- Students develop fluency with scientific notation at Grade 8 level, applying strategies more independently and solving increasingly complex problems.
- Apply it: Scientific Notation at the Grade 8 level connects to everyday situations students encounter: problem-solving in daily life, making sense of quantities and relationships, and building mathematical literacy for future learning.
- Write in scientific notation: 0.017
- Write in standard form: 1.1 × 10^-4
- Write in scientific notation: 28
About Scientific Notation
Scientific notation expresses very large or very small numbers efficiently using powers of 10. Students learn to convert between standard and scientific notation and perform operations in scientific notation.
Scientific notation is essential in science, technology, and engineering for working with extremely large (astronomical distances) or extremely small (atomic sizes) quantities. It makes calculations with such numbers manageable.
Scientific Notation
Write and interpret numbers in scientific notation; multiply/divide using exponent rules; compare and order very large/small numbers.
This medium level worksheet:
Multiply/divide numbers in scientific notation using exponent rules; estimate magnitude to check reasonableness.
Key Concepts
- a × 10^n form and place-value shifts
- Exponent rules for × and ÷
- Order of magnitude comparisons
Prerequisite skills
Powers of 10; exponent notation; decimal place value.
Teaching Strategies
Use place-value charts to show shifts; practice quick estimates of magnitude; separate mantissa vs. power work when multiplying/dividing.
Assessment ideas
Test conversion between standard form and scientific notation. Include operation problems in scientific notation. Ask students to order numbers in scientific notation. Use real-world contexts (space, microbiology, technology).
Common Challenges
Moving decimal the wrong way; mishandling exponents in products/quotients; writing mantissas outside [1,10).
Real-World Applications
Population, astronomy, microscopic measurements, and scientific data.
Extension Activities
Compare two quantities by order of magnitude; rewrite a product in scientific notation and explain each step.
Parent Tips
Have your child estimate size (about how many zeros) before writing exact scientific notation.