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All whole numbers have an implied “.0” at the end. Rather than trying to visualize this, write it out. Place the decimal point to the right of the last digit, then add a 0 after it.  If the original number was 1,500,000, then write it was 1,500,000.0. If the number is already a decimal, like 1,200,000.325, skip this step. For the next step, count from the decimal point that’s already there. For an easy counting method, place your pencil on the decimal point. Then move it left and stop at every space between the numbers. Count each space until you reach the first digit in the number.  Since the original number is 1,500,000.0, count until you reach the 1. There are 6 place values between the decimal point and the 1. Remember the amount of values you counted. This is important later on. This also works without zeroes. For 657,799,596.0, there are 8 place values between the decimal point and the 6. The first few place values are ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands, and millions. The place values continue rising as numbers get bigger. Once you reach the space between the first and second digits, stop counting. Add a decimal point here and erase the original decimal point.  The number 1,500,000.0 changes to 1.500000. Do the same action if the second digit is a zero. For instance, 5,000,000 becomes 5.000000. If the decimal point was printed on the page and you can’t erase it, put a line through it so you remember it’s been moved. If the number ends with 1 or more zeros, then you can ignore them. Either erase them or write the number again with the zeros omitted.  After eliminating the extra zeros, 1.500000 becomes 1.5. Only get rid of zeros at the end of the number. If the number is 8.100200, only get rid of the last 2 zeros so the number is 8.1002. This is where the place values you counted are important. First write the number 10. Then add an exponent equal to the number of place values you counted between the decimal points.  Since there are 6 place values between the decimal points in 1.5 (1,500,000), the exponent is 106. In standard form, the number with an exponent is always 10, never a different number. Place the number that you converted first. Then add a multiplication symbol, followed by 10 and the exponent. This represents a number in standard form. For the original number, 1,500,000, the standard form is 1.5 x 106.

Summary:
Place a decimal point and a 0 next to the last digit of a whole number. Count the place values between the decimal point and the last digit on the left. Move the decimal point between the first and second digits on the left. Eliminate any zeros left at the end of the number. Write 10 raised to the power of the spaces between the decimal points. Express the equation as the number multiplied by 10 and its exponent.