Patterns with Powers of Ten
Explain patterns in zeros when multiplying by powers of 10 and in decimal-point placement when multiplying/dividing by a power of 10; use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10 (e.g. 10³ = 1000)
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“Can your child explain why 10² = 100 and 10³ = 1,000, and why multiplying by 10 just adds a zero — connecting the pattern of zeros to place value?”
Full guide and materials
- Activity. Explain patterns in zeros when multiplying by powers of 10 and in decimal-point placement when multiplying/dividing by a power of 10; use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10 (e.g. 10³ = 1000)
What to notice. Write 10⁴ = 10,000 and explain the exponent means four factors of 10 • Explain why 3.4 × 10² = 340 by describing the decimal shift • Predict 2.56 × 10³ without calculating and explain the pattern
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Can your child explain why 10² = 100 and 10³ = 1,000, and why multiplying by 10 just adds a zero — connecting the pattern of zeros to place value?
Explain patterns in zeros when multiplying by powers of 10 and in decimal-point placement when multiplying/dividing by a power of 10; use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10 (e.g. 10³ = 1000)
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Check understanding
- Write 10⁴ = 10,000 and explain the exponent means four factors of 10
- Explain why 3.4 × 10² = 340 by describing the decimal shift
- Predict 2.56 × 10³ without calculating and explain the pattern
“Can your child explain why 10² = 100 and 10³ = 1,000, and why multiplying by 10 just adds a zero — connecting the pattern of zeros to place value?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Mathematics
- Domain
- Number Representation & Place Value
- Age range
- Ages 10–11