How do you simplify #(5.6498times10^10)/(8.2times10^4)#?
1 Answer
Explanation:
When I simplify fractions, I like to keep track of the terms using parenthesis, so even though it's not the proper way to write scientific notation, I'm going to re-write the problem first.
I like to put parenthesis around terms like this because it's easier to see where you can move things around and split the fractions. Not a big deal here, but its a handy trick for larger problems. We can see that if we split the fraction right down the middle;
We can group the
Using long division, the fraction on the left simplifies cleanly to
Putting both sides back together we have;
To write this properly in scientific notation, we need to move the decimal one place to the right. Remember to account for that in your exponent!
Lastly, if you are keeping track of significant figures, your smallest term,