Understand Powers of 10

LESSON 7

Dear Family, 7
This week your child is exploring powers of 10. Math Tools
Your child is learning that numbers such as 10, 100, or 1,000 can be written Base-Ten
Blocks
as products of the number 10.

These numbers are called powers of 10. The exponent tells how many
times to use 10 as a factor.

10 5 10 5 101
100 5 10 3 10 5 102
1,000 5 10 3 10 3 10 5 103

When you multiply a decimal by a power of 10, the digits in the

product will be to the left of where they were in the factor and
will have a new value.

Multiply by 10. Multiply by 100 (10 3 10).

0.03 3 10 5 0.3 0.005 3 100 5 0.5

The digit in the The digit in the

hundredths place is now thousandths place is now
in the tenths place. in the tenths place.

When you divide a decimal by a power of 10, the digits in the quotient will be
to the right of where they were in the dividend and will have a new value.

Divide by 10. Divide by 100 (10 3 10).

0.3 4 10 5 0.03 0.5 4 100 5 0.005

The digit in the tenths place The digit in the tenths place
is now in the hundredths is now in the thousandths
place. place.

Invite your child to share what they know about powers of 10 by

doing the following activity together.

©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted. Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 131
Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
 Activity Multiply AND Divide BY Powers of 10
ACTIVITY
Do this activity with your child to explore multiplying and dividing by a power of 10.

Work together with your child to show how the value of the product or quotient
changes when you multiply or divide a decimal number by a power of 10.

• Have your child write the number 12345 with large digits on a separate sheet
of paper or use the number below. Have your child read the five-digit
number aloud.

• Have your child place their finger between the 3 and 4. Your child’s finger
represents the decimal point. Have your child read the new number aloud.

• Ask your child to multiply the number from the previous step by 100 and
show the product by moving their finger to show the placement of the
decimal point. (Your child should move their finger two places to the right.)
Ask your child to explain the relationship between the factor 100, the
placement of the decimal point, and the value of each digit in the product.

• Ask your child to divide the number from the previous step by 10 and show
the quotient by moving their finger to show the placement of the decimal
point. (Your child should move their finger one place to the left.) Again, have
your child read the new number aloud and then explain the relationship
between the divisor 10 and the value of each digit in the quotient.

• Ask your child to show you another multiplication or division by a power

of 10. Have your child explain how the power of 10 is related to the
placement of the decimal point in the product or quotient.

132 Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 ©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted.

Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
LESSON 7 SESSION 1

Explore Powers of 10
What patterns can you find when you
multiply or divide by 10, 100, or 1,000?

Model It
Complete the problems below.

1 Numbers like 10, 100, or 1,000 that can be written as a product of tens are called
powers of 10. Complete the equations to multiply 3 by a power of 10.
3 10 3 10 3 10 3 10

3 30 300 3,000 30,000

3 100

a. 3 3 10 3 10 5 3 3
5

b. 3 3 10 3 10 3 10 5 3 3

5
c. 3 3 10 3 10 3 10 3 10 5 3 3
5
2 Complete the equations to divide 30,000 by a power of 10.
4 10 4 10 4 10 4 10 DISCUSS IT
• How did you and your
partner determine the
3 30 300 3,000 30,000 product or quotient in the
equations?
• Patterns help me
4 100
understand how to
30,000 4 100 5 multiply or divide by
numbers like 10, 100, or
30,000 4 10,000 5 1,000 because . . .

Learning Targets
• Use patterns to understand multiplying and dividing whole numbers and decimals by powers of 10.
• Use exponents to write powers of 10.

©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted. Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 133
Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
LESSON 7 EXPLORE SESSION 1

Model It
Complete the problems below.

3 You can write a power of 10 using an exponent.

The exponent 4 means to use the base 10 as a factor 4 times.
104 5 10 3 10 3 10 3 10
Complete the table to show different ways to write the first three
powers of 10.

Standard Form Product of Tens Exponent Form

DISCUSS IT
10 10 10 1
• What patterns do you
notice in multiplying by
powers of 10?
100 102
• Using exponent form
helps me understand
10 3 10 3 10 place-value relationships
because . . .

4 Complete the table to show different ways to write 300, 3,000,

and 30,000.

Standard Using a Using Exponent

Form Power of 10 Factors of 10 Form

300 3 3 100 3 3 10 3 10 3 3 102

3,000 3 3 1,000 33 33

30,000 3 3    3 3 10 3 10 3 10 3 10 33

5 REFLECT
How do you know how many zeros are in the product 5 3 104? What is the product?

134 Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 ©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted.

Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
Name: LESSON 7 SESSION 1

Prepare for Powers of 10

1 Think about what you know about powers of 10. Fill in each box.
Use words, numbers, and pictures. Show as many ideas as you can.

Examples

Examples Examples

power of 10
Examples Examples

Examples

2 Use the diagram to help you find each product.

3 10 3 10 3 10 3 10

5 50 500 5,000 50,000

5 3 100 5

5 3 10,000 5

©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted. Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 135
Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
LESSON 7 SESSION 1

Solve.

3 
Complete the table showing different ways to write powers of 10.

Standard Form Product of Tens Exponent Form

100 10 3 10 102

1,000 103

10,000 10 3 10 3 10 3 10

10 3 10 3 10 3 10 3 10

4 Complete the table to show different ways to write 500, 5,000,

and 50,000.

Standard Using a Using Exponent

Form Power of 10 Factors of 10 Form

500 5 3 100 5 3 10 3 10 5 3 102

5,000 5 3 1,000   5 53

50,000 5 3    5 3 10 3 10 3 10 3 10 53

5 Rewrite each division equation to show the power of 10 in

exponent form. Use the first pair of equations as an example.
5,000 4 10 5 500 5,000 4 101 5 500

5,000 4 100 5 50 5,000 4 5 50

5,000 4 1,000 5 5 5,000 4 55

136 Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 ©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted.

Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
LESSON 7 SESSION 2

Develop Understanding of Powers of 10

Model It: Decimal Point Patterns

Try these two problems.

1 The diagrams below show patterns in the placement of the decimal

point each time you multiply or divide a decimal by 10.
Complete the missing numbers in each diagram. The decimal point
for each missing number is already written for you.

. 2,700.0
310 410 310 410
5.0 .
310 410 310 410
0.5 27.0
310 410 310 410
0.05 .
310 410 310 410
. 0.27

2 Use the decimal point pattern diagrams above to help you find each
product or quotient.

0.5 3 100 5 0.27 3 1,000 5

0.5 3 102 5 0.27 3 103 5

5 4 100 5 2,700 4 1,000 5

5 4 102 5 2,700 4 103 5

DISCUSS IT
• What happens to the value
of a number when you
multiply or divide by a
power of 10? Why?
• I think patterns in the
placement of the decimal
point help you multiply by
1,000 because . . .

©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted. Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 137
Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
LESSON 7 DEVELOP SESSION 2

Model It: Place-Value Charts

Use place-value charts to show multiplying and dividing by powers of 10.

3 Complete each row with the product shown to the right of that row.

Ones . Tenths Hundredths Thousandths

0 . 0 0 5

. 0.005 3 101

. 0.005 3 102

. 0.005 3 103

4 Complete each row with the quotient shown to the right of that row.

DISCUSS IT
Ones . Tenths Hundredths Thousandths
5 . 0 0 0 • How do the values of the
digits and the placement
. 5 4 101
of the decimal point
. 5 4 102 change when you multiply
or divide any decimal by a
. 5 4 103 power of 10?
• I think place-value charts
show the pattern of
Connect It multiplying and dividing by
Complete the problems below. powers of 10 because . . .

5 Look at the first decimal point pattern diagram and the place-value
charts. How do the position and the value of the digit 5 change when
multiplying and dividing by 10?

6 Show how to find the product 0.19 × 103.

138 Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 ©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted.

Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
Name: LESSON 7 SESSION 2

Practice with Powers of 10

Study how the Example shows multiplying a decimal number by
a power of 10. Then solve problems 1–7.

Example
Find 102 3 0.004.

Break 102 into the product of tens. 102 3 0.004 5 10 3 10 3 0.004

5 10 3 0.04
5 0.4

The value of the digit 4 increases by moving 102 3 0.004 5 0.4

one place to the left for each factor of 10.

1 Write the missing power of 10 in exponential form.

Vocabulary
a. 0.04 3 5 0.4 0.004 3 54
power of 10 a number that
b. 3 0.006 5 0.6 3 0.006 5 6 can be written as a product
of tens.
c. 0.007 3 57 0.07 3 57
10 5 10
100 5 10 3 10
2 Complete the equations to find each product. 1,000 5 10 3 10 3 10

a. 8 3 100 5 8 3 10² 5 exponent the number in

a power that tells how
b. 8 3 1,000 5 8 3 5 many times to use the base
as a factor.
c. 2 3 5 2 3 10¹ 5
exponent
102
d. 0.02 3 100 5 0.02 3 5
base
3 Complete the equations. 102 5 10 3 10, or 100

a. 0.03 3 1,000 5

b. 0.18 3 100 5

©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted. Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 139
Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
LESSON 7 SESSION 2

4 Use the place-value chart to show dividing 9 by powers of 10. Complete each
row with the quotient shown to the right of the row.

Ones . Tenths Hundredths Thousandths

9 . 0 0 0

. 9 4 10

. 9 4 102

. 9 4 103

5 Match each expression with its quotient.

a. 5.2 4 10 0.052
0.52
b. 520 4 102 5.2
c. 52 4 103 52
520
d. 5,200 4 101 5,200

6 How do the place and value of the digits of a number change when you multiply
by a power of 10? How do the place and value of the digits of a number change
when you divide by a power of 10?

7 Is 103 the same as 10 factors of 3? Explain.

140 Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 ©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted.

Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
LESSON 7 SESSION 3

Refine Ideas About Powers of 10

Apply It
Complete these problems on your own.

1 COMPARE
Complete the place-value chart with the products and quotients
shown to the right of the chart. Then write a sentence to compare
the value of 0.8 3 102 to the value of 0.8 4 102.

Tens Ones . Tenths Hundredths Thousandths

. 0.8 3 102

. 0.8 3 101

0 . 8 0 0

. 0.8 4 101

. 0.8 4 102

2 INSPECT
Kosumi says that the product 30 3 104 has exactly four zeros. Is he
correct? Explain.

3 EXPLAIN
How do you determine the value of the unknown exponent in the
equation 9,700 4 10? 5 0.97?
PAIR/SHARE
Discuss your solutions for
these three problems with
a partner.

©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted. Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 141
Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.
LESSON 7 REFINE SESSION 3

Use what you have learned to complete problem 4.

4 Jelani and Nina’s dad plays conga drums in an Afro-Cuban jazz

band. The band recently played at a jazz festival. Jelani and Nina
read that about 1.4 3 104 people went to the festival.

Part A Jelani says that 1.4 3 104 can also be written as 14 3 103.
Is he correct? Justify your answer.

Part B Nina says that about 140,000 people went to the jazz
festival. Is she correct? Justify your answer.

5 MATH JOURNAL
Find the value of 80 4 104. Explain the change in value between
80 and 80 4 104.

142 Lesson 7 Understand Powers of 10 ©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted.

Downloaded by K. SEHGAL at ROBERT SHAW THEME ELEM SCHOOL. This resource expires on 6/30/2025.