Question

The use of electricity in the US in 1902 was 6.03 x 10^9 kilowatt-hours. The use of electricity in the US in 1950 was 4.3 x 10^11 kilowatt-hours. How many times more was the electricity used in 1950 than 1902? Express your answer in Scientific Notation.

Answer 1

To find out how many times more electricity was used in 1950 than in 1902, we need to divide the usage in 1950 by the usage in 1902:

(4.3 x 10^11) / (6.03 x 10^9)

First, divide the numerical parts:
4.3 / 6.03 = 0.7128

Then divide the exponential parts:
10^11 / 10^9 = 10^(11-9) = 10^2

Putting it all together:
0.7128 x 10^2 = 7.128 x 10^(-1) x 10^2 = 7.128 x 10^1

Therefore, the electricity used in 1950 was approximately 7.128 times more than in 1902. This can be expressed in scientific notation as 7.128 x 10^1.