1.2 Powers of 10

Base 10 and exponent rules.

Core idea

A power of 10 has a base of 10 and an exponent. [1, pp. 2–4]

• 10³ = 1000
• 10⁰ = 1
• 10⁻³ = 0.001

Rules

• Multiply powers of 10: add exponents.
• Divide powers of 10: subtract exponents.
• Reciprocal: change the sign of the exponent.

[1, p. 17]

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