Interpreting results given in Calculator Scientific Notation.
Scientific Notation is typically used to represent extremely small or extremely large decimal numbers.
Keystrokes
Screen
Enter the following:
.001
.0001
×
The number 1E-7 is calculator scientific notation
for 1 × 10-7, which is .0000001 in decimal
notation. The decimal notation is determined by
moving the decimal 7 places to the left (negative
direction).
Enter the following:
52
÷
352748
The result is approximately 1.47 × 10-4 = 0.000147.
Enter the following:
10000
×
1000000
The number 1E10is calculator scientific notation
for 1 × 1010, which is 10,000,000,000 in decimal
notation. The decimal notation is determined by
moving the decimal 10 places to the right
(positive direction).
Enter the following:
87654
×
2837465
The result is approximately 2.487 × 1011 =
248,700,000,000.
If you have set the calculator to round to a
specific decimal place, this will also show in
scientific notation.
More questions? Contact the Metropolitan State University Math Center at
651-793-1460, 651-793-1463 (Fax) or [email protected].
Persons with a disability who need reasonable accommodations may call Disability Services at 651-793-1540 or 651-772-7687 (TTY).
Printed on 15-Sep-03
Scientific Notation
Note: before continuing, clear the home screen and set your decimal rounding back to Float.
Scientific Notation with Operations.
Keystrokes
Screen
You can enter numbers in scientific notation
directly into the calculator. For example, 1 × 10-7,
which is .0000001 in decimal notation, can be
entered by using the following key strokes:
1
7
One can use scientific notation for any numerical
operation and/or computation. For example:
5.28
7
÷
1.6
3
3.3E-4 is 0.00033 in decimal form and 3.3 × 10-4
in scientific notation.
Negative numbers and Scientific Notation.
Negative numbers can also be displayed in
Scientific Notation. For an example, enter the
following:
.037 ×
.00034
-1.25E-5 is -0.0000125 in decimal form and -1.25
× 10-5 in scientific notation.
Approximation of Infinity on the TI-83 and TI-83 Plus
These are especially useful for statistical probability computations for the normal distribution.
Positive infinity must be approximated with the
largest number the TI-83 and TI- 83 plus can use,
1 ×1099. It is entered as follows:
1
99
Negative infinity must be approximated with the
smallest number the TI-83 and TI- 83 plus can
use, -1 × 1099. It is entered as follows:
1
99
More questions? Contact the Metropolitan State University Math Center at
651-793-1460, 651-793-1463 (Fax) or [email protected].
Persons with a disability who need reasonable accommodations may call Disability Services at 651-793-1540 or 651-772-7687 (TTY).
Printed on 15-Sep-03