which one is greater: 3.2x^-10 or 2.3x10^-12?

Answer 1

To determine which expression is greater, we need to compare the values of the expressions.

First, let's simplify the expressions:

3.2x^-10 = 3.2 / x^10
2.3x10^-12 = 2.3 * 10^-12

Since we don't have a specific value for x, we can still compare these expressions based on the constant values.

Comparing 3.2 / x^10 and 2.3 * 10^-12:

To compare these fractions, we need to have the same denominator. Let's multiply both expressions by x^10 to get a common denominator:

(3.2 / x^10) * (x^10 / x^10) = 3.2x^10 / x^10 = 3.2

So, the first expression 3.2x^-10 simplifies to 3.2.

Now, let's compare 3.2 and 2.3 * 10^-12:

Since 10^-12 is a very small number (a fraction less than 1), multiplying it by any positive number like 2.3 will result in an even smaller number.

Therefore, 2.3 * 10^-12 is smaller than 3.2.

Conclusion: The first expression 3.2x^-10 is greater than the second expression 2.3x10^-12.