Why it is important to write numbers in scientific notation?

Question

Why it is important to write numbers in scientific notation?

please answer THank YOu

Answer 1

Both of the answers above are true, but the real beauty of scientific notation has been forgotten somewhat since nobody uses a slide rule anymore.  Before there were electronic calculators, nearly all scientific and engineering calculations were done using slide rules (which were invented in the 1600's).  Scientific notation was essential for a slide rule, where you can only multiply numbers in the range of 1-10.  Scientific notation allows you to easily and quickly account for numbers larger than 10 and smaller than 1 and still use the slide rule for multiplication and division.  

Don't know much about geography

Don't know much trigonometry

Don't know much about algebra

Don't know what a slide rule is for

-Sam Cooke

Answer 2

scientific notation shortens the length of a number

(if for example, the number has infinite decimal places)

it also speeds up computation since the numbers are expressed in powers of 10

you can perform MDAS easily (multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction)

Answer 3

Just adding on to what was already said, it also makes it easier to read/understand/copy numbers written that way.  If you see a number like 356732000000000, it's tough to quickly look at it and understand what it is, without accidentally miscounting 0s, etc.