Writing standard form

Writing standard form

Pencil and paper
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This task is about writing numbers in standard form.
 
Write each of the following numbers in standard form.
 
 
a)

 
The deepest part of Lake Manapouri is about 443 metres
 
= _____________________________ metres

 


 
b)
The number of letters posted in New Zealand each year is about
 
187,900,000 = _____________________________
 
 
 
c)
The population of New Zealand is close to 5.5 million
 
= _____________________________
 
   
 
d) 
The thickness of fine wool is about 0.00002 metres
 
= _____________________________ metres
 
 
e) 
A racing car can travel a metre in 0.012 seconds
 
= _____________________________ seconds
 
  
Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper only.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Number and Algebra, Number Knowledge
Keywords: 
standard form, place value
Description of task: 
Students convert numbers from ordinary form to standard form.
Answers/responses: 
  

Y10 (09/1999)
a) 4.43 × 102  [Accept 4.4 × 102.] moderate
b) 1.879 × 108  [Accept 1.88-1.9 × 108.] difficult
c) 5.5 × 106 difficult
d) 2.0 × 10-5  [Accept 2 × 10-5.] difficult
e) 1.2 × 10-2 difficult
Diagnostic and formative information: 
   Common error Likely reason
b) 
d) 
e) 		 8189 × 105
0.2 × 10-4
0.12 × 10-1		 Correct number but not in standard form.
d) 
e) 		 2 × 105
1.2 × 102		 Gives positive rather than negative exponent.
c) 4.1, 4.1 × 100
4.1 × 105 or 4.1 × 107		 Ignores million. 
Wrong size of 1 million (106). 
b) 
d) 		 8.189 × 105
2 × 10-4		 Gives the number of trailing zeros. 
Gives the number of zeros after the decimal point.