Mantissa: meaning, definitions and examples

Etymology

• The word 'mantissa' comes from Latin, meaning 'something added' or 'to add.'
• Historically, it referred to the fractional part of a logarithm in mathematics, before evolving into its current use in scientific notation.

Mathematics

• In scientific notation, a number is expressed as a product of a mantissa and a power of ten, showing both size and precision.
• For example, in the number 6.02 x 10^23, '6.02' is the mantissa, indicating how many significant figures are involved.

Technology

• Computers often use mantissa in floating-point representation, allowing them to handle a vast range of numbers efficiently.
• The precision of a mantissa in digital calculations can affect the accuracy of programs, particularly in scientific simulations.

Physics

• In physics, the mantissa can represent important constants, like Avogadro's number, aiding in calculations across different scientific fields.
• Using mantissas helps in simplifying the comparison of varying magnitudes of measurements, like comparing tiny particles and cosmic scales.

Education

• In teaching math, understanding mantissas is crucial for concepts of decimals and scientific notation, helping students grasp complex number systems.
• Educators emphasize mantissa to enhance students' skills in estimation and accuracy when dealing with measurements and large datasets.

This word's position of #33,726 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.

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• 33723 discomposed
• 33724 doyen
• 33725 harmlessness
• 33726 mantissa
• 33727 fritter
• 33728 wallop
• 33729 kiddo
• ...