Aug 10, 2013 · So 10^2 is the number we get when we move the decimal point in 1.0 two positions to the right to get 100, 10^3 is the number we get when we move the decimal point in 1.0 three positions to the right to get 1,000, and so on. So a large number written in scientific notation such as 3x10^8 is just 3x100,000,000 = 300,000,000. If the number is negative, then the following process determines its value: invert the significant digits (change zero's to one's and one's to zero's), and add one. Put a minus sign in front of the number, and that is the equivalent value.