# Thread: Need help with Scientific Notations

1. ## Need help with Scientific Notations

Good evening all,

I need some understanding on how to do scientific notations as I have not done any maths since the 80's; this is something new to me as I would need to know how I can express Mpbs in bits per second (bps) using scientific notation.

Calculate the time it takes to download the 235KB file over a connection of: 84.84 mbps and 2.49 mbps in scientific notations and round it off to three significant figures.

2. ## Re: Need help with Scientific Notations

When dealing with file sizes the capitalisation of the b is important. One byte is equal to eight bits (1B=8b). Download speeds are usually done in Mbps instead of MBps because they can advertise a number that looks 8 times bigger.
First convert the file size from KB to Kb by multiplying by 8.
$\displaystyle 235\ KB\times 8= 1880\ Kb$

The notation used in computer science is actually different from the regular SI system because when dealing with binary it is easier to work with a slightly different system
Since one kilobit is 1024 bits the file size is multiplied by 1024 to change it into bits
$\displaystyle 1880\ Kb \times 1024= 1925120\ b$

Now for the download speed. Since 1 megabit is 1048576 bits the speed is multiplied by 1048576 to get it into bits per second
$\displaystyle 84.84\ Mbps \times 1048576= 88961187\ bps$

$\displaystyle 1925120 \div 88961187= 0.0216\ s$

3. ## Re: Need help with Scientific Notations

Thank you Shakarri,

Sorry I migt have some typing error as indeed it was KB and Mbps so would I need to do the first step?

So would 235KB be calculated by 1000 bits = 235,000

89.84 Mbps and 2.49 Mbps in bits per second (bps) using scientific notation?

Would the answer be the same for calculating the download time for a file over 235KB over a connection of 89.84 Mbps and 2.49 Mbps?

4. ## Re: Need help with Scientific Notations

Originally Posted by AJAB
Thank you Shakarri,

Sorry I migt have some typing error as indeed it was KB and Mbps so would I need to do the first step?
Yes you would still need to do the first step

So would 235KB be calculated by 1000 bits = 235,000
You might have seen my post before I edited it, originally I wrote that to convert you should multiply by 1000 like that, but then I remembered that the "kilo" prefix in computer science is 1024 times not 1000 times. You would multiply 235 by 8 to get from kilobytes to kilobits and then multiply by 1024 to get from kilobits to bits

Would the answer be the same for calculating the download time for a file over 235KB over a connection of 89.84 Mbps and 2.49 Mbps?
Yes the procedure is the same; convert the speed of 2.49Mbps into bps and do the division to get the time to download

5. ## Re: Need help with Scientific Notations

Thanks Shakarri,

So let me check if this is correct with you please.

89.84 Mbps x 1048576 = 94204067.84 bps
2.49 Mbps x 1048576 = 2610954.24 bps

235KB = 235 x 1024B
= 240640
= 240620 x 8b
= 1925120b

Then I would 1925120 / 94204067.84 = 0.0204356358?

How would I then round all of the caculations into 3 significant figures the answer of 1925120, 94204067.84 and etc?

Sorry to ask you all these questions as I have not studied since the 80s and need understanding on this part of maths.

Kind regards

6. ## Re: Need help with Scientific Notations

Hi AJAB,

Did you get any confirmation to your last post? Was it CORRECT?? I am trying the solution above for my calculations (also haven't studied anything since 190... well almost.

7. ## Re: Need help with Scientific Notations

Originally Posted by devinesunshine75
Hi AJAB,

Did you get any confirmation to your last post? Was it CORRECT?? I am trying the solution above for my calculations (also haven't studied anything since 190... well almost.
I doubt the OP is around anymore since the original post is almost 2 years old ...

Why don't you post your problem in this forum by starting a new thread?

8. ## Re: Need help with Scientific Notations

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# express the following numbers in scientific notation 134;56

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