GCSE Chemistry · key term

Exponent

Definition

The power $n$ in $a \times 10^n$ ; it shows how many places the decimal point is shifted.

Used by OCR

Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)

For positive numbers with the same coefficient, compare their exponents.
Revise: Standard form calculations
The number written as a superscript on 10 in standard form; it shows how many places the decimal point has moved.
Revise: Standard form calculations
The raised number in a power, showing how many times the base is used as a factor; in $10^6$ , the exponent is 6.
Revise: Prefixes and standard form

1
When ordering positive quantities with negative exponents, the more negative exponent represents the smaller number: $10^{-10}$ is smaller than $10^{-9}$ .
2
For addition or subtraction, make the powers of ten equal first. Do not simply add or subtract the exponents.
3
When dividing by a power of ten, subtract its exponent. A negative exponent is reasonable when the answer is less than one mole.

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GCSE Chemistry · key term

The power $n$ in $a \times 10^n$ ; it shows how many places the decimal point is shifted.

Used by OCR

Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)

For positive numbers with the same coefficient, compare their exponents.
Revise: Standard form calculations
The number written as a superscript on 10 in standard form; it shows how many places the decimal point has moved.
Revise: Standard form calculations
The raised number in a power, showing how many times the base is used as a factor; in $10^6$ , the exponent is 6.
Revise: Prefixes and standard form

1
When ordering positive quantities with negative exponents, the more negative exponent represents the smaller number: $10^{-10}$ is smaller than $10^{-9}$ .
2
For addition or subtraction, make the powers of ten equal first. Do not simply add or subtract the exponents.
3
When dividing by a power of ten, subtract its exponent. A negative exponent is reasonable when the answer is less than one mole.

Create a free account to read GCSE Chemistry revision notes for your exam board and track your progress.