Why is scientific notation is useful?

Answer 1

scientific notation is useful because when you are writing out a very large or very small number you dont have to write lots of zero'z
Because sometimes numbers get really big or really small.

Answer 2

It is useful for expressing very small or very large numbers. For example, the SI unit for length is a metre. The distance to the sun is approx 149600000000 metres. Even in terms of kilometres, it is 149600000 km. It is easy to mistype or misread the number if zeros in such a number. It is much safer to represent the value as 1.496*10^11 metres.

Scientific notation becomes even more useful when considering even more extreme values such as the volume of a red blood cell is approx 8 * 10^-14 litres.

Answer 3

To express long answers in a shorthand way.

Answer 4

Less digits are needed for very large numbers.