Topic: Multiplying and dividing scientific notation
Question: Rewrite the expression in scientific notation.
(60 × 107)(200 × 10−2)
1,000 × 10−5
Answer choices:
A 1.2 × 109
B 1.2 × 10−10
C 1.2 × 1011
D 1.2 × 1010
288
Solution: C
We’ll begin by doing the multiplication in the numerator, so we’ll multiply
the decimal numbers and the powers of 10 separately, remembering that
we have to add the exponents.
(60 × 107)(200 × 10−2)
1,000 × 10−5
(60 × 200)(107 × 10−2)
1,000 × 10−5
12,000 × 107+(−2)
1,000 × 10−5
12,000 × 107−2
1,000 × 10−5
12,000 × 105
1,000 × 10−5
The result we got for that multiplication 12,000 × 105 isn’t in proper scientific
notation, but we’ll go ahead and do the division, and then at the end we’ll
make any adjustments that are needed to express the answer in proper
scientific notation.
Dividing the decimal numbers, we get
12,000 ÷ 1,000 = 12
Divide the powers of 10, remembering to subtract the exponents.
105 ÷ 10−5 = 105−(−5) = 105+5 = 1010
289
Multiplying the results of those two divisions, we get
12 × 1010
This still isn’t in proper scientific notation, because there are two digits to
the left of the place where the decimal point would be in 12. We first put a
decimal point after the 12 (giving 12.), and then we move the decimal point
one place to the left, so the exponent will be 1.
12 = 1.2 × 101
Now we’ll multiply 1.2 × 101 by 1010, adding the exponents.
(1.2 × 101) × 1010
1.2 × (101 × 1010)
1.2 × 101+10
1.2 × 1011
290
Topic: Multiplying and dividing scientific notation
Question: Rewrite the expression in scientific notation.
(0.04 × 10−9)(50 × 1010)
(0.000004)(50,000)
Answer choices:
A 1 × 102
B 108
C 2 × 108
D 100
291
Solution: A
If we start with the given expression
(0.04 × 10−9)(50 × 1010)
(0.000004)(50,000)
we’ll first work on the numerator separately from the denominator. And
when we’re working inside the numerator or inside the denominator, when
we multiply numbers in scientific notation, we multiply the decimal terms.
0.04 ⋅ 50 × 10−9 ⋅ 1010
0.000004 ⋅ 50,000
2 × 10−9 ⋅ 1010
0.2
Then we’ll multiply the powers of 10, adding the exponents when we do
that.
2 × 101
0.2
Now that we’ve somewhat simplified the numerator and denominator,
we’ll divide the decimal terms, and then separately divide the powers of
10.
2
× 101
0.2
10 × 101
292
Now we have to put this answer into proper scientific notation. To change
the 10 decimal term into proper scientific notation, we need to move the
decimal point one place to the left.
1.0 × 101
But because we made the decimal term smaller, we have to make the 10
term larger. We moved the decimal point one place, so we need to
increase the exponent by 1.
1.0 × 102
Drop the 0 from the decimal term since it’s not a significant figure.
1 × 102
293
Topic: Multiplying and dividing scientific notation
Question: Rewrite the expression in scientific notation.
(40,000 × 105)(120 × 10−20)
(0.003 × 10−8)(2,000)
Answer choices:
A 80 × 102
B 8
C 0.8 × 10−2
D 8.0 × 10−2
294
Solution: D
In the numerator and denominator, we’ll multiply the decimal numbers,
and then separately multiply the powers of 10, remembering that we have
to add the exponents. But first we can rewrite each number in scientific
notation.
(40,000 × 105)(120 × 10−20)
(0.003 × 10−8)(2,000)
(4 × 104 × 105)(1.2 × 102 × 10−20)
(3 × 10−3 × 10−8)(2 × 103)
(4 × 104+5)(1.2 × 102−20)
(3 × 10−3−8)(2 × 103)
(4 × 109)(1.2 × 10−18)
(3 × 10−11)(2 × 103)
(4 × 1.2)(109 × 10−18)
(3 × 2)(10−11 × 103)
4.8 × 109−18
6 × 10−11+3
4.8 × 10−9
6 × 10−8
0.8 × 10−9−(−8)
0.8 × 10−1
295
In order to write this in scientific notation, we have to express 0.8 as only
one digit in the ones (units) place, and one digit in the tenths place. We
need to move the decimal one place to the right in order to get 8.0. So
we’ll change the expression to
8.0 × 10−1 × 10−1
8.0 × 10−1−1
8.0 × 10−2
296
