Table of Contents
Introduction to Power of 10
The number 10 is a base-10 number, meaning that it has 10 different possible values when raised to a power. The value of 10 raised to a power is determined by multiplying the value of 10 by itself the number of times indicated by the power. For example, 10 raised to the power of 3 is 10 multiplied by 10 multiplied by 10, or 1,000.
Power of 10 to Zero
When expressing a number in scientific notation, the number is multiplied by 10 to the power of the exponent. For example, 5.3 x 10^2 is 5.3 multiplied by 10^2, or 53.
Powers of 10
A power of 10 is a number that is multiplied by itself 10 times. For example, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, and so on.
Multiplying and Dividing Powers of 10
To multiply powers of 10, add the exponents.
For example, 10 × 10 = 100, because 10 + 0 = 10 and 10 + 1 = 11.
To divide powers of 10, subtract the exponents.
For example, 10 ÷ 10 = 1, because 10 − 0 = 10 and 10 − 1 = 9.
Power of Ten Prefixes
Prefixes are used to indicate a number that is multiplied by a power of 10.
Prefixes
10-1
deci
10-2
centi
10-3
milli
10-6
micro
10-9
nano
10-12
pico
10-15
femto
10-18
atto
Power of 10
The power of 10 is a mathematical concept that helps people understand large numbers. It is the number of digits a number has multiplied by 10. For example, the number 1,000 has 10 digits (1,000 = 1 x 10^3). The number 1,000,000 has 10 digits (1,000,000 = 1 x 10^6).
