Why is scientific notation often used when recording experimental measurements?

• A. It eliminates the need for significant figures in measurements.
• B. It allows very large or very small numbers to be expressed more concisely and clearly.
• C. It ensures that all measurements are recorded in metric units.
• D. It converts all measurements to whole numbers for easier calculations.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that scientific notation is a method of expressing numbers that are very large or very small in a compact form.
2. Recognize that experimental measurements can often involve values that are either extremely large (like the distance between stars) or extremely small (like the size of atoms).
3. Scientific notation expresses numbers as a product of a number between 1 and 10 and a power of 10, written as \(a \times 10^{n}\), where \(a\) is the coefficient and \(n\) is an integer exponent.
4. This format makes it easier to read, write, and compare such numbers without losing precision or clarity.
5. Therefore, scientific notation is used because it allows very large or very small numbers to be expressed more concisely and clearly, facilitating communication and calculation in scientific work.