ASTRON 103 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Scientific Notation, Varangian Runestones, Kilogram

• School: UW-Madison
• Department: Astronomy
• Course: ASTRON 103
• Professor: Richard Townsend

Document Summary

3. 1 - the metric system: why do we use one system, the confusion between units caused the loss of the mars climate orbiter in. Characteristics of metric system: units related by factors of 10. 1 km = 1000 meters (vs 1 mile = 5380 ft: use exponents to indicate the number of times we multiply by 10. 1000 meters = 10 3: metric prefixes indicate various possible powers of 10. Mega = 1,000,000: 3 fundamental units (mks system) First, must convert all values into mks units. Scientific notation: shortened way to write numbers using 10 to a power: 1,000,000 = 10 6, 123. 45 = 1. 2345 x 10 2, sun"s mass = 1. 989 x 10 30 kg, multiplying & dividing made easier. 10 8 / 10 5 = 10 3 (10 a + 10 b = 10 a+b) (10 a / 10 b = 10 a-b)