Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
two numbers that express the value of the large, bulky number but do so in a
more compact way. Of the two numbers, the first usually consists of a rational
number less than 10. For example, you might see 3.4, 4.5, or 9.2. The second
consists of 10 with an exponent. For example, you might see 10
2
, 102
2
,or10
22
.
The exponent can be negative or positive, depending on whether you are
addressing a number less than 1 or a number greater than 1. An example of a
number less than one is 0.0003.
The first part of an expression given in scientific notation is usually called the
coefficient of the number. The second part offers 10 raised exponentially.
Consider, for example, the distance to the sun in miles. Expressed without
scientific notation, this number is usually rounded to 92.9 million miles, which
you express in this way:
92, 900, 000
Expressed in terms of scientific notation, this number becomes
9
29
10
7
:
Table 3.2 provides a few other representative values expressed in scientific
notation.
To represent the mass of the earth, you shift the decimal point to the right. The
figure of 6
6
10
21
becomes
:
6,600,000,000,000,000,000,000
Table 3.2
Numbers Rendered in Scientific Notation
Item
Scientific Notation
As a Number
49 10
10
Distance from sun to farthest galaxy
1
:
light years
14,900,000,000
14 10
6
Distance from sun to Andromeda
2
:
light years
2,140,000
57 10
10
Distance to farthest object yet seen
1
:
light years
15,700,000,000
6 10
9
years
Age of the solar system
4
:
4,600,000,000
65 10
10
Age of the universe
1
:
years
16,500,000,000
6 10
21
Mass of the earth
6
:
tons
86 10
5
Speed of light in miles per second
1
:
186,000
0 10
2
100
1
:
100
0 10
4
1/10,000
1
:
0.0001
1 10
31
kilograms
Mass of an electron
9
:
0 10
13
Wavelength of a gamma ray
3
:
centimeter
6:626 10
34
Planck's Constant
joules
