Multiplying and Dividing by Powers of 10

Multiplying and Dividing by Powers of 10 shows how the decimal point shifts when you work with 10, 100, 1000 and beyond, written as \(10^2\), \(10^3\) and so on in NSW Year 7 maths (NESA outcomes MA4‑IND‑C‑01 and MA4‑FRC‑C‑01). Each zero moves the point one place: right to multiply, left to divide.

You will write powers of 10 as ordinary numbers, multiply and divide decimals by them, find a missing power by counting how far the point moved, and see that multiplying by \(0.1\) is the same as dividing by 10. Changing metres to centimetres and pricing 100 calculators are everyday uses. It is part of Year 7 Decimals.