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Thread: exponent Question

  1. January 15th 2009, 08:54 PM #1
    brentwoodbc
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    Question exponent Question

    this is confusing me,

    my teacher wrote an answer as

    4.5 x 10^17

    my calculator shows it as 4.5^17

    how is that the same thing?

    question is find energy "e"
    info is given and you get

    e=5(3 x 10^8)^2

    could someone please explain the difference of
    4.5 x 10^17
    and
    4.5^17


    and why when I type 10^17 into my calculator and press = does it show 1^17 ?
    Thanks.
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  2. January 15th 2009, 08:57 PM #2
    Mush
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    Quote Originally Posted by brentwoodbc View Post
    this is confusing me,

    my teacher wrote an answer as

    4.5 x 10^17

    my calculator shows it as 4.5^17

    how is that the same thing?

    question is find energy "e"
    info is given and you get

    e=5(3 x 10^8)^2

    could someone please explain the difference of
    4.5 x 10^17
    and
    4.5^17

    Thanks.
    4.5 \times 10^{17} = 4.5 \times 10 \times 10 \times 10 \times 10.... \text{and so on... 17 times! Which is equivalent to 45 with 16 zeros after it!}

    4.5^{17} = 4.5 \times 4.5 \times 4.5 \times 4.5 \times 4.5.... \text{and so on... 17 times!}

    \text{They are very different.}

    \text{To answer your energy question:}

    e = 5(3\times 10^8)^2

    e = 5(3^2 \times (10^8)^2)

    e = 5(9 \times 10^{16})

    e = 45 \times 10^{16}

    e = 4.5 \times 10^{17}
    Last edited by Mush; January 15th 2009 at 09:10 PM.
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  3. January 15th 2009, 09:01 PM #3
    brentwoodbc
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    so which is right for this question? he wrote 4.5x10^17
    he always does that number x10^number
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  4. January 15th 2009, 09:06 PM #4
    ADARSH
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    4.5 x 10^17 is correct and mush check your error
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  5. January 15th 2009, 09:08 PM #5
    Mush
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    Quote Originally Posted by brentwoodbc View Post
    so which is right for this question? he wrote 4.5x10^17
    he always does that number x10^number
    See previous posts!
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  6. January 15th 2009, 09:09 PM #6
    brentwoodbc
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    Quote Originally Posted by ADARSH View Post
    4.5 x 10^17 is correct and mush check your error
    why does my calculator show 4.5 E17 then?
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  7. January 15th 2009, 09:12 PM #7
    Mush
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    Quote Originally Posted by brentwoodbc View Post
    why does my calculator show 4.5 E17 then?
    E signifies "times 10 to the power of!"

    4.5 E17 = 4.5 \times 10^{17}
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  8. January 15th 2009, 09:14 PM #8
    ADARSH
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    Quote Originally Posted by brentwoodbc View Post
    why does my calculator show 4.5 E17 then?
    The notation means
    4.5E17 = 4.5 x 10^17
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  9. January 15th 2009, 09:16 PM #9
    brentwoodbc
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mush View Post
    E signifies "times 10 to the power of!"

    4.5 E17 = 4.5 \times 10^{17}
    and on standard scientific caculators the exponent is x10^ also?


    EDIT
    ok ok of course it does, sorrey Im very tired and just got back from night school, thanks for the help.
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  10. January 15th 2009, 09:23 PM #10
    Mush
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    Quote Originally Posted by brentwoodbc View Post
    and on standard scientific caculators the exponent is x10^ also?
    Check my pictures. The button with the red circle is used for 4.5^{17} whilst the button in the blue circle is used for 4.5\times 10^{17}

    To get 4.5^{17} :

    Hit the 4 key.
    Hit the . key.
    Hit the 5 key.
    Hit the red circle key.
    hit the ( key.
    Hit the 1 key.
    Hit the 7 key.
    Hit the ) key.
    Hit = key.

    To get 4.5\times 10^{17} :

    Hit the 4 key.
    Hit the . key.
    Hit the 5 key.
    Hit the blue circle key.
    hit the ( key.
    Hit the 1 key.
    Hit the 7 key.
    Hit the ) key.
    Hit = key.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails exponent Question-calc1.jpg   exponent Question-calc-2.jpg  
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  11. January 15th 2009, 09:30 PM #11
    brentwoodbc
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mush View Post
    Check my pictures. The button with the red circle is used for 4.5^{17} whilst the button in the blue circle is used for 4.5\times 10^{17}

    To get 4.5^{17} :

    Hit the 4 key.
    Hit the . key.
    Hit the 5 key.
    Hit the red circle key.
    hit the ( key.
    Hit the 1 key.
    Hit the 7 key.
    Hit the ) key.
    Hit = key.

    To get 4.5\times 10^{17} :

    Hit the 4 key.
    Hit the . key.
    Hit the 5 key.
    Hit the blue circle key.
    hit the ( key.
    Hit the 1 key.
    Hit the 7 key.
    Hit the ) key.
    Hit = key.
    awesome ya thats right,
    so 4.5^{17} is equal to 1.27 x 10^{11} right?
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  12. January 15th 2009, 09:42 PM #12
    ADARSH
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    Quote Originally Posted by brentwoodbc View Post
    awesome ya thats right,
    so 4.5^{17} is equal to 1.27 x 10^{11} right?
    Approximately to a very large extent
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