Pre-fix form

Pre-fix form

Pre-fix form is essentially standard form but using prefix numbers in science.

The wavelength of red light in mathematics is it 6.8 x10^-7. This is standard form.

Science is a language, much is communicated verbally. Numbers are not easy to communicate verbally so in science it makes sense to speak in pre-fixes. For example, laser physics deals a lot with viable light. Visible light is between 400-700 x10⁹ so we tend to communicate verbally in nano meters. For red light of wavelength 680nm we say red light has a wavelength of six hundred and eighty nanometers.

In number form it is 680 x10^-9, this is not standard form, I propose we call it pre-fix form.

The name Pre-fix form is somewhat irrelevant, however provides an alternative to saying standard form when communicating with pupils.