Which expression represents the quotient below?

4.6 x 10^(5) over 2,300,000


A. 2 x 10^(0)

B. 2 x 10^(-1)

C. 2 x 10^(1)

D. 2 x 10^(-30)

1 answer

To evaluate the quotient \( \frac{4.6 \times 10^5}{2,300,000} \), we first express \( 2,300,000 \) in scientific notation.

\( 2,300,000 = 2.3 \times 10^6 \)

Now, we can rewrite the expression as follows:

\[ \frac{4.6 \times 10^5}{2.3 \times 10^6} \]

Using the property of fractions, we can separate the coefficients and the powers of ten:

\[ = \frac{4.6}{2.3} \times \frac{10^5}{10^6} \]

Calculating \( \frac{4.6}{2.3} \):

\[ \frac{4.6}{2.3} = 2 \]

Next, we handle the powers of ten:

\[ \frac{10^5}{10^6} = 10^{5-6} = 10^{-1} \]

Putting it all together, we have:

\[ = 2 \times 10^{-1} \]

Thus, the quotient \( \frac{4.6 \times 10^5}{2,300,000} \) can be represented by the expression:

\[ 2 \times 10^{-1} \]

The correct answer is B. \( 2 \times 10^{-1} \).