How it works Concept Notes Diagnostic Free Practice Sectional Tests Pricing Log in to Pro Get Pro — ₹499 →

Powers of 10 & Scientific Notation

Section: ArithmeticBank code: ARI-P10GRE frequency: MediumPro

1. Core Idea

Scientific notation writes any number as

a x 10^n, where 1 <= a < 10 and n is an integer.

Its purpose is to separate the size of a number (the exponent) from its digits (the coefficient). Once separated, comparison and multiplication become trivial.


The rest of this note is part of Pro

Must-know rules, three worked examples, the GRE traps, speed tricks and a self-check — plus every one of the 75 concept notes and all 8,390 questions.

Reading free? 25 notes are free, including every exam-strategy note.