Simplifying Scientific Notation: (9x10^10) - (4x10^10)
Scientific notation is a way of expressing very large or very small numbers in a more compact and readable form. It involves writing a number as a product of a number between 1 and 10, and a power of 10. In this article, we will explore how to simplify the expression (9x10^10) - (4x10^10)
in scientific notation.
Understanding the Expression
The given expression is (9x10^10) - (4x10^10)
. To simplify this expression, we need to follow the order of operations (PEMDAS):
- Evaluate the exponentiation (in this case, the power of 10)
- Multiply each term by the coefficient (9 and 4)
- Subtract the two terms
Simplifying the Expression
Let's start by evaluating the exponentiation:
10^10 = 10,000,000,000
(since 10 to the power of 10 is equal to 10 billion)
Now, multiply each term by the coefficient:
(9x10^10) = 9 x 10,000,000,000 = 90,000,000,000
(4x10^10) = 4 x 10,000,000,000 = 40,000,000,000
Next, subtract the two terms:
90,000,000,000 - 40,000,000,000 = 50,000,000,000
Writing the Answer in Scientific Notation
To write the answer in scientific notation, we need to express it as a product of a number between 1 and 10, and a power of 10:
50,000,000,000 = 5 x 10^10
Therefore, the simplified expression (9x10^10) - (4x10^10)
in scientific notation is:
5 x 10^10
In conclusion, by following the order of operations and simplifying the expression, we can write (9x10^10) - (4x10^10)
in scientific notation as 5 x 10^10.