Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Scientific Notation
Scientific notation is a way of expressing numbers that are too large or too small in a compact form. It is written as a product of a number (the coefficient) between 1 and 10, and a power of ten. For example, 4.8 × 10⁻² means 4.8 divided by 100, or 0.048. This notation simplifies calculations and comparisons of very large or very small values.
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Division of Exponents
When dividing numbers in scientific notation, you divide the coefficients and subtract the exponents of the powers of ten. For instance, in the expression (4.8 × 10⁻²) / (2.4 × 10⁶), you would first divide 4.8 by 2.4, and then subtract the exponent of the denominator from the exponent of the numerator: -2 - 6 = -8. This rule is essential for simplifying expressions in scientific notation.
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Introduction to Exponent Rules
Rounding in Scientific Notation
Rounding is often necessary when working with scientific notation to ensure that the coefficient is expressed to a specified number of decimal places. In this case, the problem specifies rounding the decimal factor to two decimal places. This means that after performing the division, if the coefficient has more than two decimal places, it should be rounded accordingly to maintain precision and clarity in the final answer.
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