Editing Exponentiation (section)

====Powers of ten <span class="anchor" id="Base 10"></span>====
{{See also|Scientific notation}}
{{Main|Power of 10}}
In the base ten ([[decimal]]) number system, integer powers of {{math|10}} are written as the digit {{math|1}} followed or preceded by a number of zeroes determined by the sign and magnitude of the exponent. For example, {{math|1={{val|e=3}} = {{val|1000}}}} and {{math|1={{val|e=-4}} = {{val|0.0001}}}}.

Exponentiation with base {{math|[[10 (number)|10]]}} is used in [[scientific notation]] to denote large or small numbers. For instance, {{val|299792458|u=m/s}} (the [[speed of light]] in vacuum, in [[metres per second]]) can be written as {{val|2.99792458|e=8|u=m/s}} and then [[approximation|approximated]] as {{val|2.998|e=8|u=m/s}}.

[[SI prefix]]es based on powers of {{math|10}} are also used to describe small or large quantities. For example, the prefix [[Kilo-|kilo]] means {{math|1={{val|e=3}} = {{val|1000}}}}, so a kilometre is {{val|1000|u=metres}}.