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Year 9
Standard Form
Definition
Standard form writes a number as a value between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten. 32 000 becomes 3.2 × 10⁴, and 0.0005 becomes 5 × 10⁻⁴, which keeps huge and tiny numbers easy to compare.
Why Do I Have to Learn This?
Standard form writes very big and very small numbers neatly. Scientists use it for everything from planets to atoms.
Key Rules:
- 1. The front number must be at least 1 and less than 10.
- 2. The power counts how many places the digits move: positive for big numbers, negative for small ones.
- 3. To add or subtract, match the powers first; to multiply, multiply the front numbers and add the powers.
Remember:
- •Common slip: writing 32 × 10³ , the front number is too big, it should be 3.2 × 10⁴.
- •A negative power does not make the number negative, it makes it small.
- •Check by converting back to an ordinary number.
Standard form
A way of writing very large or very small numbers, as a × 10ⁿ where a is at least 1 and less than 10.
5000 is written as 5 × 10³ in standard form.
Animated Example:
2
×2
×2
23 = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8
Free Standard Form Worksheet
Download free worksheets and practise today.
Every download has a fresh set of questions.
Let’s Practise the Concept
Step 1 of 3
Put them in order
Tap the numbers from smallest to largest.
In order so far: nothing yet