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7th grade Powers of ten and scientific notation worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

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Powers of ten and scientific notation

Grade 7 Math Worksheet - Building Confidence

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Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. The school library has 10^4 books, and Bo has read the shortest one. How many books are in the library?

  2. The zoo had 10^5 visitors this summer, and Esme waved at the penguins. How many visitors came?

  3. 10^-2 = 1 ÷ (10 × 10): a 1 on top and 2 tens below the bar. A bee is about 10^-2 m long, and Jun measured it before it flew away. How many meters is that, written as a decimal?

  4. 10^-3 = 1 ÷ (10 × 10 × 10): a 1 on top and 3 tens below the bar. A coin is about 10^-3 m thick. Kira stacked a few and they wobbled. How many meters is that, written as a decimal?

  5. Read this first

    Use this

    10^-4 = 1 ÷ (10 × 10 × 10 × 10): a 1 on top and 4 tens below the bar.

  6. A sheet of paper is about 10^-4 m thick, and Luz is not impressed. How many meters is that, written as a decimal?

  7. The city bus line carries 6 × 10^3 riders each day, and Pia rides one of them. How many riders is that?

  8. A garden snail is about 6 × 10^-2 m long, and Ren watched it cross one leaf. How many meters is that, written as a decimal?

  9. Use this

    2 × 10^-3 = 2 ÷ (10 × 10 × 10): a 2 on top and 3 tens below the bar.

  10. The lead in Tala's pencil is about 2 × 10^-3 m wide, and it snaps when pressed hard. How many meters is that, written as a decimal?

  11. Use this

    5 × 10^-4 = 5 ÷ (10 × 10 × 10 × 10): a 5 on top and 4 tens below the bar.

  12. Zee's pen draws a line about 5 × 10^-4 m wide, and the ink is running low. How many meters is that, written as a decimal?

  13. Bo's math book shows three numbers, with the strips of tens drawn for each. Which number is the greatest?

    • 3 × 10^4
    • 6 × 10^3
    • 8 × 10^2
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7th grade Powers of ten and scientific notation worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Powers of ten and scientific notation. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can say 10^-3 is 1 divided by three tens, so it is 0.001, a small positive number.
  • I can change 4.5 × 10^3 to 4,500 and 0.0045 to 4.5 × 10^-3, with one digit before the point.
  • I can put numbers in scientific notation in order: the strip of tens first, the first parts only for ties.

Standard: state-only (CCSS 8.EE.A.3–4)

Words to know

power of ten: 10 multiplied by itself: 10^3 = 10 × 10 × 10.

negative power: 10^-3 is 1 divided by three tens. It is small, not below zero.

strip of tens: The tens written in a row. 10^4 is a strip of four tens.

first part: The number in front of the × 10, such as the 4.5 in 4.5 × 10^3.

scientific notation: A first part from 1 up to (not including) 10, times a power of ten.

standard form: The number written the usual way, such as 4,500 or 0.0045.

Common mistakes

Your child multiplied the exponent into the number (10^4 as 10 × 4 = 40, or 3 × 10^4 as 3 × 4 = 12). Write the power out as tens, 10 × 10 × 10 × 10, and multiply them all together.

Your child ended up with one zero too many (10^4 as 100,000, or 3 × 10^4 as 300,000, or 0.003 for 3 × 10^-2). Count one zero or one move of the point for each ten in the strip, and check the last one.

Your child treated a negative power of ten like a positive one (10^-3 as 1,000, or 4 × 10^-3 as 4,000). A minus sign puts the tens below a fraction bar: 10^-3 = 1 ÷ (10 × 10 × 10) = 0.001. Try 10^-2 together.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with powers of ten and scientific notation?

Your child multiplied the exponent into the number (10^4 as 10 × 4 = 40, or 3 × 10^4 as 3 × 4 = 12). Write the power out as tens, 10 × 10 × 10 × 10, and multiply them all together.

Are these 7th grade math worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 7 math

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