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Beginning Algebra
Answer/Discussion to Practice Problems
on Negative Exponents and Scientific Notation





 

Answer/Discussion to 1a

 

 

*When div. like bases you sub. your exp. 
 
 
 

*Raise each base to -2
*Mult. your exponents
 
 

*Rewrite with a pos. exp. by taking recip. of base
 
 

 


 
(return to problem 1a)

 


 

Answer/Discussion to 1b

 

 

*Raise each base to 5
*Mult. your exponents
 

*Rewrite with a pos. exp. by taking recip. of base

 


 
(return to problem 1b)

 


 

Answer/Discussion to 2a

 .00000146


 
Step 1:  Move the decimal point so that you have a number that is between 1 and 10.

 
*Decimal is at the beginning of the number

*Move decimal to create a number between 1 and 10


 
Step 2:   Count the number of decimal places moved in Step 1 .

 
How many decimal places did we end up moving?
We started at the beginning of the number .00000146 and moved it between the 1 and 4.  That looks like a move of 6 places.

What direction didi it move?
Looks like we moved it to the right.

So, our count is -6.


 
Step 3:   Write as a product of the number (found in Step 1) and 10 raised to the power of the count (found in Step 2).

 

 
(return to problem 2a)

 


 

Answer/Discussion to 3a

 
=
71000000000

*Move the decimal 10 to the right

 
(return to problem 3a)

 


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Last revised on Jan. 10, 2002 by Kim Seward.