Split is used within other display modes and is meant for splitting single equations which do not fit on one line but allows alignment between lines. Numbering from the external mode will apply to the entire split as one line. In transformed large print forms supporting reflow additional line breaking might occur and any alignment might be lost.
\begin{equation}\begin{split} \sum_{i=1}^{15} x_i^2 =& x_1^2 + x_2^2 + x_3^2 + x_4^2 + x_5^2 \\ &+ x_6^2 + x_7^2 + x_8^2 + x_9^2 + x_{10}^2+ x_{11}^2 + x_{12}^2 + x_{13}^2 + x_{14}^2 + x_{15}^2 \end{split}\end{equation}\begin{equation} \begin{split} \sum _{i=1}^{15} x_ i^2 =& x_1^2 + x_2^2 + x_3^2 + x_4^2 + x_5^2 \\ & + x_6^2 + x_7^2 + x_8^2 + x_9^2 + x_{10}^2+ x_{11}^2 + x_{12}^2 + x_{13}^2 + x_{14}^2 + x_{15}^2 \end{split}\end{equation}