What does standard form notation express?

Standard form notation is used to express extremely large or small numbers in a more manageable way. It typically utilizes a base of 10, which allows for numbers to be written succinctly by highlighting the most significant digits and indicating the scale of the number with an exponent. For example, the number 3,000,000 can be expressed in standard form as 3 x 10^6, clearly indicating its large size while simplifying calculations and comparisons. This method is especially useful in scientific and engineering contexts where such extreme values are common, as it enhances clarity and reduces the risk of errors associated with handling unwieldy numbers.

The other options do not accurately capture the essence of standard form notation. Decimal format simply represents numbers without the scale factor applied through exponents, the metric system deals with unit measurement rather than numerical expression, and simple mathematical equations involve operations on numbers but do not inherently involve expressing them in standard form.