Transcript: Because of the huge range of skills and quantities in astronomy, we often use exponential or logarithmic forms when presenting information. Exponential growth and exponential numbers are very different from linear growth and linear numbers. There are three typical forms of exponentials used in science. The first are exponents or powers of 2, that of course is the basis of the binary counting system and the way computers work, exponents or powers of the natural number “e,” 2.7, which is often encountered in biology, and exponents or powers of the number 10, our familiar powers of 10 way of counting. There’s a huge difference between linear counting or linear growth and exponential counting or exponential growth. For example, if you had one dollar on the first day of a month and everyday added a dollar to it, at the end of the month you would have 31 dollars. If however you had one dollar and everyday doubled that dollar, by the end of the month you would be close to being the richest person on the planet which gives you a good example of the rapid way powers of 10 or powers of 2 can grow. In astronomy we use exponential or logarithmic forms to compress the huge scales of the universe and make them more accessible and easy to manipulate.