Scientific Notation and Standard Form
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Scientific Notation and Standard Form — Free MYP5 Mathematics (Standard) Practice Questions

1QuestionApplications in Science and Engineering ContextsConcept Practice
2 marks~3 minCriterion A
Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our solar system, is approximately 4.2464.246 light-years from Earth. Given that 11 light-year ≈9.461×1012\approx 9.461 \times 10^{12} km, calculate the distance to Proxima Centauri in kilometres, expressing your answer in standard form. [1]

Explain why scientists use scientific notation when working with astronomical distances such as this. Give two distinct reasons. [1]
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2QuestionConverting Between FormsAssessment Practice
2 marks~3 minCriterion D
A team of demographers is comparing global population data across multiple decades. The world population in 2024 is 8,100,000,000.

Justify why expressing this population as 8.1×1098.1 \times 10^9 is preferable to using the full integer form when presenting findings in a published research report. Your response must reference a specific practical advantage relevant to this context. [2]
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3QuestionConverting Between FormsAssessment Practice
8 marks~12 minCriterion C
The Andromeda Galaxy is approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth. One light-year is equivalent to 9.46×10129.46 \times 10^{12} km. A student claims the distance to Andromeda is 2.365×10192.365 \times 10^{19} km.
a
Write 2.5 million light-years and 9.46×10129.46 \times 10^{12} km each as an ordinary number. [2]
b
Show that the distance to Andromeda in kilometres is 2.365×10192.365 \times 10^{19} km, and deduce whether the student's claim is accurate. [2]
c
A science communicator must present the distance 2.365×10192.365 \times 10^{19} km to a general audience. Advise the communicator which format — scientific notation or ordinary number form — to use, justifying your recommendation and acknowledging the limitations of your chosen format. [4]
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4QuestionAdding and Subtracting with Powers of 10Assessment Practice
2 marks~3 minCriterion B
Three sums involving scientific notation are shown below.

(2×101)+(3×102)=320(2 \times 10^1) + (3 \times 10^2) = 320

(5×103)+(4×101)=5040(5 \times 10^3) + (4 \times 10^1) = 5040

(1×104)+(7×102)=10700(1 \times 10^4) + (7 \times 10^2) = 10700

Analyse the three calculations and explain the pattern connecting the exponent of each term to the position of its coefficient digit in the final sum. [2]

Solutions

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