To find the number of hours it will be before the asteroid hits Mars, we divide the distance between Mars and the asteroid by the speed of the asteroid:
3.311×10^8 miles ÷ 7.7×10^4 mi./hr.
To divide numbers in scientific notation, we subtract the exponents and divide the coefficient:
(3.311 ÷ 7.7) × 10^(8 – 4)
= 0.429 × 10^4
To express this number in scientific notation to the exact decimal place, we have to move the decimal point of 0.429 to the right one place, so the coefficient is 4.29:
4.29 × 10^3
Therefore, it will be 4.29 × 10^3 hours before the asteroid hits Mars.
An asteroid is heading toward Mars at the rate of 7.7×10^4 mi./hr. If the asteroid is 3.311×108 miles away from Mars, how many hours will it be before it hits Mars? Write the answer in scientific notation, expressed to the exact decimal place.(1 point)
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