SCIENTIFIC NOTATION AGAIN!! HELP!!?

Question

Yeah, I'm sorry for asking about the same subject but anyways....

My teacher gave me scientific notation once again...and I don't understand it at all! PLEASE HELP ME! I can really use it because my mom isn't helping me at all...

Here's two problems that are like all the other ones. I want some advice/pointers or just tell me how to do.

Please and thank you.

Problems:

1.

3.0 x 10^4 L

__________

62 s

2.

6.05 x 10^7 g

_____________

8.8 x 10^6 cm^3

Answer 1

1.

Let s = 3.0 * 10^4 L / 62 s.

3.0 / 62

= 0.0484

= 4.84 * 10^(- 2)

Multiplying by the 10^4:

s = 4.84 * 10^(- 2) * 10^4

Using the law of indices that (a^b) * (a^c) = a^(b + c):

s = 4.84 * 10^(4 - 2)

= 4.84 * 10^2 L/s.(scientific form)

or  484 L/s (non-scientific form).

2.

Let s = (6.05 * 10^7) / (8.8 * 10^6) g /cm^3.

s = (6.05 / 8.8) (10^7 / 10^6) g/cm^3

Using the law a^b / a^c = a^(b - c):

s = (6.05 / 8.8)[ 10^(7 - 6) ]

= 0.6875 * 10^1

= 6.875 g/cm^3.

You don't need a 10^x multiplier here, as it would be 10^0 which is equal to 1.

Your calculator will do all this for you if you key the numbers in as 6.05 [EXP] 7 [divide] 8.8 [EXP] 6, but it is as well to understand the principles of what's happening.

An answer in scientific notation is usually written with one digit left of the decimal point. Any adjustment to achieve this changes the power of  ten.

There are many web sites explaining scientific notation fully. Here's one:

http://www.nyu.edu/pages/mathmol/textboo...

Just put 'scientific notation' into a search engine.