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Indices and standard form

Indices and standard form for GCSE Philosophy OCR Foundation: what it means, how to set the working out, and the questions it is asked in.
  • GCSE
  • OCR
  • Philosophy
  • Foundation
  • Spec R16
  • 10 min read
  • 6 revision boxes

Introduction

2 boxes
3 min read

What is indices and standard form?

Listen to this box

Transcript

A short spoken summary of indices and standard form and where it is used.

A spoken walk-through of indices and standard form before you read the notes.
This idea appears again in the higher-mark questions, so it is worth over-learning.
Worth knowing: ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left.
2 rows

The indices and standard form reference table

The examiner marks the working, so a correct answer with no method still drops marks.
Worth knowing: ≈160\approx 160.
Term
Meaning
Example
Common slip
Row 1 column 1
Row 1 column 2
a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2
Row 1 column 4
Row 2 column 1
Row 2 column 2
x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0
Row 2 column 4
Row 3 column 1
Row 3 column 2
×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left
Row 3 column 4

Learning

2 boxes
4 steps

How to work with indices and standard form

Practise the routine version until it is automatic, then move to the multi-step questions.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing indices and standard form laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for indices and standard form in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0.
Answer: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
3 rules

Key facts: Indices and standard form

Sketch the shape even when the question does not ask for one — it makes the next step obvious.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing indices and standard form laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
Worth knowing: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}.

  • Rule 1

    How indices and standard form behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0

  • Rule 2

    How indices and standard form behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0

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Examples

2 boxes
1 marks · worked

Worked example: indices and standard form

The examiner marks the working, so a correct answer with no method still drops marks.
Worth knowing: ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left.
2 marks · worked

Practice question 6: ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left

Sketch the shape even when the question does not ask for one — it makes the next step obvious.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing indices and standard form laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.

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Common questions

How many marks is indices and standard form usually worth?
Between one and four, depending on how many steps the question asks for.
Is this on the GCSE Philosophy OCR Foundation paper?
Yes — it sits in the Probability strand.