Scientific Noation >_<

Just like it says.....HELP!!!! I don't understand wht they're talking about when on a calculator it says: 4. 09

I'm lost on how to change nubers into S.N. and how to make S.N.

Please help.........................................

What model calculator do you have?

Plug the number 97100000000 into your calculator.

This has 11 digits to the left of the (invisible) decimal point.
WITH the decimal point, it looks like 97100000000.00 (or any number of zeros after the decimal point...doesn't matter....all the same value).
Now, a scientist usually wants to have one digit on the LEFT of the decimal point.

Because of this, he would write 97100000000 as 9.71E10 or

9.71 x 10^10 (these two ways of writing it out are both the same as the full-length form we started out with).

So, that is just saying (9.71)x(10^10) or

(9.71)x(10x10x10x10x10x10x10x10x10x10) ..

If you need it explained more clearly, just say so :0)
EDIT: oh yes, and it can be used with negative exponents, as well--> you're just counted the opposite way from the decimal point!

If you have a simple calculator, there suld be a key that says "EXP" or "ENG" try hiting thouse. if it has enough rooms for the expresion, then it wil turn nrmally. however if you are having more digits than the calculator can have, youre stucked with scientific.
4.09 means 4000000000 thats 4x10^9

I have a Texas instrument IIB....thanks BBD...I get it now.....I officialy consider you my big brother...*goes to put in sig*

scientific notation is a digit 1 or above but below 2 multplied by ten to whatever power


for example 2300 is 2.3x10 to the third
or 1000 is 1x10 to the third