Ordering standard form

Ordering standard form

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about ordering numbers that are written in standard form.
 
2.9 × 104 5.6 × 106 5.9 × 103 8.3 × 105 5.1 × 106 2.7 × 104
 
a) 
All the numbers in the box above are written in standard form.
List these numbers in order from the smallest to largest.
 
 
i)
 
ii)
 
iii)
 
iv)
 
v)
 
vi)
 
_______________ (smallest)
 
_______________
 
_______________
 
_______________
 
_______________
 
_______________ (largest)
 
b) i) 
 		 Circle the larger of these two numbers:   4.317 × 106   or   5.724 × 105 
 
ii)
Explain why you are able to tell this number is larger.
 
 
 
 
 
c) i) 
 		 Circle the larger of these two numbers:   4.3 × 108   or   4.17 × 108
 
ii)
Explain why you are able to tell this number is larger.
 
 
 
 
Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper only.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Number and Algebra, Number Knowledge
Key Competencies: 
Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
standard form, ordering numbers, place value
Description of task: 
Students demonstrate their understanding of standard form numbers by ordering given numbers from smallest to largest and by identifying the larger of two numbers.
Curriculum Links: 
Key competencies
This resource involves explaining why one of two numbers written in standard form is larger. This relates to the Key Competency: Using language, symbols and text.
Answers/responses: 
  Y10 (11/2000)
a) 
i) 
ii) 
iii) 
iv) 
v) 
vi) 
 5.9 × 103
2.7 × 104
2.9 × 104
8.3 × 105
5.1 × 106
5.6 × 106
NOTE: Accept if numbers correctly written out in ordinary form.		 2 marks - easy
 
1 mark - easy
b)  i) 
ii)
4.317 × 106
Any 1 of:
  • The number has a greater power or has a greater exponent.
  • The number is raised to the power of 6 rather than to the power of 5.
  • It has one more zero on the end.
 easy (both correct)
c)  i) 
ii)
4.3 × 108
Any 1 of:
  • Because 4.3 is bigger than 4.17.
  • Because 4.3 is bigger than 4.17 and both are raised to the power of 8.
  • 0.3 is bigger than 0.17.
  • The first decimal place is larger (i.e., 0.3 is larger than 0.1).
  • Its decimal number is larger.
 moderate  (both correct)
Diagnostic and formative information: 
  Common error
 c) Sees 0.17 as greater than 0.3.