Exponents
A convenient way to write large numbers is by using exponential notation. The number 53 means 5 X 5 X 5. To make it easier to show on a keyboard, the symbol 5^3 can also be used. As an example, 5300 can be expressed as 53 X 103. One quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) can be written as 10^15 or 1015
There are also negative exponents. 5^-3 5-3 means 1/(5^3). Exponents can get very complicated in formulas which can be found in advanced math textbooks.