To calculate \( 2.56 \times 10^{-2} - 4.82 \times 10^{12} \), we need to recognize that these two numbers are in vastly different orders of magnitude.
Here's the breakdown:
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Convert \( 2.56 \times 10^{-2} \) to a decimal: \[ 2.56 \times 10^{-2} = 0.0256 \]
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The number \( 4.82 \times 10^{12} \) is a very large number: \[ 4.82 \times 10^{12} = 4,820,000,000,000 \]
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Now perform the subtraction: Since \( 0.0256 \) is much smaller than \( 4.82 \times 10^{12} \), the result will essentially be \( 4.82 \times 10^{12} \): \[ 0.0256 - 4,820,000,000,000 \approx -4,820,000,000,000 \]
Thus, the result of the operation is: \[ -4.82 \times 10^{12} \]