Question

How do you simplify `(9.6times10^3)/(1.2times10^-4)`?

Answer 1

See the entire simplification process below:

Explanation:

First, we can rewrite this expression as:

`(9.6/1.2)(10^3/10^-4) = 8(10^3/10^-4)`

Now, we can use this rule of exponents to simplify the 10s terms:

`x^color(red)(a)/x^color(blue)(b) = x^(color(red)(a)-color(blue)(b))`

`8(10^color(red)(3)/10^color(blue)(-4)) = 8 xx 10^(color(red)(3)-color(blue)(-4)) = 8 xx 10^(color(red)(3)+color(blue)(4)) =`

`8 xx 10^7`

This will be the answer if we want to keep the answer in scientific notation. If we want to convert it standard notation we will need to move the decimal place for the `8` term [which is `(8.0)`] 7 places to the right:

`8 xx 10^7 = 80,000,000`