The document contains multiple word problems involving scientific notation. It asks the reader to perform calculations such as determining the number of lightning flashes in a day from the rate provided, calculating volumes, distances, speeds, and averages. It also asks the reader to compare numbers written in scientific notation and explain the best way to express various values like populations.

1. Each minute, there are approximately flashes 6 × 103 of lightning around
the world. The air around a lightning bolt is heated to about 5.4 × 104
degrees Fahrenheit, which is about five times hotter than the Sun.
a. About how many flashes of lightning are there in a day? Write in
scientific notation and in standard form.
b. About how hot is the Sun in degrees Fahrenheit? Write in scientific
notation and in standard form.
A sheet of gold leaf is approximately 1.25 × 10−5 centimeters thick.
a. Write the value of the thickness in standard form.
b. Use the formula V=lwh to find the volume in cubic meters of a sheet
of gold that is 2 meters wide and 5 meters long. Write in scientific
notation and standard from.
The moon travels around Earth at a speed of about 3.68 × 103 kilometers
per hour. If the Moon orbits Earth every 27.3 days, about how far does it
travel in one orbit around Earth? Write in scientific notation and standard
form.

2. The speed of light is about kilometers per second. 3 × 105 The distance
between Earth and the Moon is about 3.84 × 105 kilometers. Find how
long it would take light to travel from Earth to the Moon.
Write two numbers in scientific notation with different exponents. Then
find the sum, difference, product and quotient of the two numbers. Write
the answers in scientific notation.
Miami is the second most populous city in Florida.
a. Which number better describes the population of Miami, 3.8 × 104 or
3.8 × 106 ? Explain.
b. Express Miami’s population in another form.
c. Which notation is best to use when describing population? Explain.

3. TWO PROBLEMS:
1) Which number is twice as great as 3 × 102 ?
6 × 102 3 × 104 6 × 104
2) Your friend things 7.8 × 103 is greater than 6.5 × 102 because 7.8 > 6.5.
Explain why your friend’s reasoning is incorrect.
The weight of a fruit fly is about 1.3 × 10−4 pound. How much would one
million fruit flies weigh?
The Earth is 1.55 × 108 kilometers from the Sun. Mercury is 5.80 × 107
kilometers from the Sun. Find the difference in distances and express
your answer in scientific notation.

4. A music downloading website recently announced that over 4 × 109 songs
have been downloaded. It also announced that it has 5 × 107 registered
users. Find the average number of downloads per user and express your
answer in scientific notation.
A 45­acre
farm produces 183.2 tons of avocados per year. One ton is
2000 pounds.
a. How many pounds of avocados are produced per year? Write in
scientific notation and standard form.
b. Find the average number of pounds produced per acre. Round to
the nearest whole number.
A googol is a number that is 1 followed by 100 zeros. A centillion is a
number that is 1 followed by 303 zeros.
a. Write each of these numbers in scientific notation.
b. How much larger is a centillion than a googol?