In 2010, approximately 4.6×10^7 tons of paper were recycled. In the same year, an estimated 2,600,000 tons of plastics were recycled. How many more tons of paper was recycled than plastic in 2010?

Question

A. 4.34×10^2
B. 7.20×10^7
C. 4.34×10^7
D. 434×10^7

Answer 1

To find out how many more tons of paper were recycled than plastic in 2010, we need to subtract the amount of recycled plastic from the amount of recycled paper.

1. Tons of paper recycled: \( 4.6 \times 10^7 \) tons
2. Tons of plastic recycled: 2,600,000 tons, which can also be expressed in scientific notation as \( 2.6 \times 10^6 \) tons.

Now, we will convert both numbers to the same exponent for easy subtraction. The common exponent can be \( 10^7 \).

Convert \( 2.6 \times 10^6 \) to a form with \( 10^7 \):

\[ 2.6 \times 10^6 = 0.26 \times 10^7 \]

Now we have:

• Paper: \( 4.6 \times 10^7 \)
• Plastic: \( 0.26 \times 10^7 \)

Now subtract the recycled plastic from the recycled paper:

\[ 4.6 \times 10^7 - 0.26 \times 10^7 = (4.6 - 0.26) \times 10^7 = 4.34 \times 10^7 \]

Thus, the number of more tons of paper recycled than plastic in 2010 is \( 4.34 \times 10^7 \) tons.

The answer is C. \( 4.34 \times 10^7 \).