## Scientific Notation (general requirement for the course)

Moderators: Chem_Mod, Chem_Admin

Tyler Angtuaco 1G
Posts: 130
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2019 12:16 am

### Scientific Notation (general requirement for the course)

Are we required to write our answers in scientific notation? Or are the correct significant figures the only requirement?

Audrie Chan-3B
Posts: 50
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2019 12:17 am

### Re: Scientific Notation (general requirement for the course)

I think we use scientific notation to write the answer with the correct number of significant figures. So if the answer was 12300 but the question only asks for 2 sig figs, we would write it as 1.2 x 10^4.

Maya Beal Dis 1D
Posts: 100
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2019 12:16 am
Been upvoted: 2 times

### Re: Scientific Notation (general requirement for the course)

You could also write it as 12000 because that also uses only 2 significant figures. Any zeros to the right of a whole number are not considered significant figures.

Maya Pakulski 1D
Posts: 105
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2019 12:17 am

### Re: Scientific Notation (general requirement for the course)

Audrie Chan-3B wrote:I think we use scientific notation to write the answer with the correct number of significant figures. So if the answer was 12300 but the question only asks for 2 sig figs, we would write it as 1.2 x 10^4.
If they do not specify which format we should use does it matter? Is there one that's better than the other?

philipraj_1F
Posts: 52
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:16 am

### Re: Scientific Notation (general requirement for the course)

Maya Pakulski 3D wrote:
Audrie Chan-3B wrote:I think we use scientific notation to write the answer with the correct number of significant figures. So if the answer was 12300 but the question only asks for 2 sig figs, we would write it as 1.2 x 10^4.
If they do not specify which format we should use does it matter? Is there one that's better than the other?

I think as long as you have the correct number of sig figs it shouldn't matter. So 12300 in a question with two sig figs could be written as 1.2 x 10^4 or 12000.

Nathan Nakaguchi 1G
Posts: 102
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2019 12:22 am
Been upvoted: 1 time

### Re: Scientific Notation (general requirement for the course)

I'm not entirely sure, I think that you're only required to write the correct amount of sig figs, but there can be cases were scientific notation would be more practical. I would just make sure that the reader can understand the sig figs in your answer.

Return to “SI Units, Unit Conversions”

### Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests