Zicoflex MATHEMATICS
WHAT ARE
MATHEMATICAL
MODELS?
WHAT IS
SCIENTIFIC
NOTATION?
FIND OUT
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Mathematics
explores the
properties
(characteristics) of
numbers, shapes,
and space. Using
math, scientists
can describe
patterns they
observe in nature,
and make models
that explain how
things behave.
WHAT ARE
MATHEMATICAL
MODELS?
Mathematical
models are
equations that
describe real
processes. For
example, a simple
model based on the
laws of motion
predicts that the
speed of a falling
stone is equal to
the time it has
been falling,
multiplied by the
acceleration due to
gravity. The
predictions of the
model can be
compared with real
measurements to
test the model’s
accuracy.
WHAT IS
SCIENTIFIC
NOTATION?
Scientists measure
anything from very
large numbers,
such as the speed
of light, to very
small numbers,
such as the mass
of an atom.
Scientific notation
is a shorthand way
of writing these
numbers. The
speed of light is
approximately
300,000,000
meters per second.
This is shortened
to 3.0 x 108 m/s,
where 8 is the
number of zeros
that follow the 3.