If the original number was 1,500,000, then write it was 1,500,000. 0. If the number is already a decimal, like 1,200,000. 325, skip this step. For the next step, count from the decimal point that’s already there.
Since the original number is 1,500,000. 0, count until you reach the 1. There are 6 place values between the decimal point and the 1. Remember the amount of values you counted. This is important later on. This also works without zeroes. For 657,799,596. 0, there are 8 place values between the decimal point and the 6. The first few place values are ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands, and millions. The place values continue rising as numbers get bigger.
The number 1,500,000. 0 changes to 1. 500000. Do the same action if the second digit is a zero. For instance, 5,000,000 becomes 5. 000000. If the decimal point was printed on the page and you can’t erase it, put a line through it so you remember it’s been moved.
After eliminating the extra zeros, 1. 500000 becomes 1. 5. Only get rid of zeros at the end of the number. If the number is 8. 100200, only get rid of the last 2 zeros so the number is 8. 1002.
Since there are 6 place values between the decimal points in 1. 5 (1,500,000), the exponent is 106. In standard form, the number with an exponent is always 10, never a different number.
For the original number, 1,500,000, the standard form is 1. 5 x 106.
If the original number is 0. 000325, count the place values between the decimal point and the 3. There are 4 spaces. There shouldn’t be zeros at the end of a decimal. If there are, erase or cross them out before counting the spaces.
If the original number is 0. 000325, move the decimal point and eliminate the zeros so it’s 3. 25. If there are zeros between 2 non-zero digits, keep them. For . 034002, write 3. 4002.
If the original number was 0. 000325 and there are 4 spaces between the decimal points, write 104.
The original exponent, 104, becomes 10-4.
For the final result, 0. 000325 becomes 3. 25 x 10-4 in standard form.
If a number is spelled out as six hundred and thirty-seven thousand, four hundred ninety-two, start at the left. The first part is six hundred and thirty-seven thousand. Write this as 637,000. The second part is four hundred, so write 400. The final part is ninety-two, so write 92. You can do the same with small numbers as well. Very small numbers are common in measurements, like “one-thousandth of an inch. " The thousands place value is 4 spaces to the right of the decimal point. So in written form, this is 0. 0001. Another way to convert small numbers is to imagine them as fractions. “One-thousandth of an inch” is equal to 1/1,000. Divide 1 by 1,000 and get 0. 0001.
For our example, your equation is 637,000 + 400 + 92. The result of the equation is 637,492. If you’re in the US, remember to add a comma after every 3 digits starting from the left to keep track of the number. If you end up with 545600, for example, make it 545,600. Outside the US, use decimal points instead of commas. So 545,600 should be 545. 600.
For 637,000, going through the process gives you 6. 37 x 105. Do the same with small numbers as well. If one-thousandth of an inch is 0. 0001, then convert it to standard form by going through the process to write small numbers. The result is 1 x 10-4.
