Operations with scientific notation worksheet
Thirty grade 8 questions: multiplying and dividing in scientific notation, adding and subtracting after matching the powers, and six science and data stories.
Download the free operations with scientific notation worksheet (PDF)
Operations with scientific notation worksheet
What’s on the worksheet
- 30 questions on operations with scientific notation, sized for US Letter paper
- 2 pages of questions plus an answer key on the last page
- Written for grade 8, matching Common Core 8.EE.A.4
- Name and date lines at the top, and room to show the work
Sample questions from this worksheet
- (4 × 10⁵) × (3 × 10²) =
- (8.4 × 10⁹) ÷ (2 × 10³) =
- 3 × 10⁴ + 5 × 10³ =
- 6 × 10⁵ − 4 × 10⁴ =
- Light travels about 3 × 10⁵ km a second. How far does it travel in 2 × 10³ seconds?
- A country has 9 × 10⁷ people and 3 × 10⁴ doctors. How many people per doctor?
Preview the worksheet and answer key
Make a new operations with scientific notation worksheet
Need another page for extra practice, a retake or a second group in class? The free Mathify Kids test maker builds a fresh operations with scientific notation worksheet with different numbers every time. Choose how many questions, print it with its own answer key, or let your child take it on screen and see the score straight away.
Operations with scientific notation: a worked example ((4 × 105) × (3 × 102))
- Multiply the front numbers: 4 × 3 = 12.
- Add the exponents of 10: 105 × 102 = 107.
- That gives 12 × 107, but 12 is too big for the front.
- Write 12 as 1.2 × 10, so the answer is 1.2 × 108.
How to use it at home and in class
At home
Parts A and B use one idea: work with the front numbers and the powers of 10 separately, then fix the front number so it is between 1 and 10. Part C is different. Ask your child to rewrite one number so both have the same power before adding. In Part D, ask which operation the story needs before any working. The scientific notation lesson explains how to fix the front number, and the scientific notation worksheet is good revision first. Ten problems a day works better than a whole sheet at once. Mark them together with the answer key, then ask your child to explain one they got wrong: finding the mistake themselves is where the learning happens.
In class
Use the first row as a warm-up, a full page for independent practice, or five questions as an exit ticket. For a retake or a second group, make a new version with the test maker so every child gets different numbers.
Mistakes to watch for
- Leaving the answer as 12 × 107 instead of fixing it to 1.2 × 108.
- Multiplying the exponents, so 105 × 102 becomes 1010.
- Adding the front numbers straight away when the powers differ, so 3 × 104 + 5 × 103 becomes 8 × 104.
- Forgetting that a dividing answer like 0.5 × 106 must become 5 × 105.
What to practice before and after operations with scientific notation
- Before: scientific notation. If this sheet is a struggle, go back a step.
- After: order of operations, once this one is mostly right.
- Learn it first: the operations with scientific notation lesson.
More grades 6–8 worksheets
Last reviewed
Questions parents ask
How do you multiply numbers in scientific notation?
Multiply the front numbers and add the exponents of 10. If the front number is now 10 or more, move the point one place and add 1 to the exponent.
What grade is this operations with scientific notation worksheet for?
It is written for grade 8 and matches Common Core standard 8.EE.A.4.
Can I get a different version of this operations with scientific notation worksheet?
Yes. Use the free Mathify Kids test maker to make a new operations with scientific notation worksheet with different numbers every time. You choose how many questions, and every version comes with its own answer key.