Question

the average weight of a blue whale is 4*10^5 pounds. the average weight of an elephant is 1*10^4 pounds. how many times heavier is a blue whale then the elephant in pounds

Answer 1

To find out how many times heavier a blue whale is compared to an elephant, you can divide the weight of the blue whale by the weight of the elephant.

The average weight of a blue whale is \( 4 \times 10^5 \) pounds, and the average weight of an elephant is \( 1 \times 10^4 \) pounds.

Now, perform the division:

\[
\text{Number of times heavier} = \frac{4 \times 10^5}{1 \times 10^4}
\]

When dividing, you can divide the coefficients and subtract the exponents of 10:

\[
= \frac{4}{1} \times 10^{5 - 4} = 4 \times 10^1 = 4 \times 10 = 40
\]

So, a blue whale is 40 times heavier than an elephant.