#48
Top 50 Mistake
Having A greater than or equal to 10
"The Ten Trap"
The Mistake in Action
Write 35000 in standard form.
Wrong: $35 \times 10^3$
Why It Happens
Students correctly identify the power but don't move the decimal point far enough. They stop at a "round" number like 35 instead of continuing to get a number between 1 and 10.
The Fix
In standard form, $A$ must be at least 1 but less than 10.
$35 \times 10^3$ is not valid because $35 \geq 10$.
Move the decimal one more place: $$35000 = 3.5 \times 10^4$$
Check: Is $3.5$ between 1 and 10? Yes ✓
Spot the Mistake
Can you identify where this student went wrong?
Write 35000 in standard form
$35 \times 10^3$
Click on the line that contains the error.
Related Topics
Learn more about the underlying maths: