It seems there is a slight misunderstanding in your statement. When subtracting numbers in scientific notation, the exponents need to be the same for the coefficients to be subtracted directly. However, in your case, you mentioned that the exponents are -5 and -7, which are not the same.
To clarify how to proceed in this case:
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Align the exponents: Convert one of the numbers so that both have the same exponent. This usually means adjusting the number with the smaller exponent to match the larger one.
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Subtract the coefficients: After adjusting, you can then subtract the coefficients since the exponents will now be the same.
For example, if you have two numbers in scientific notation such as \( 3.0 \times 10^{-5} \) and \( 2.0 \times 10^{-7} \):
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Convert \( 2.0 \times 10^{-7} \) to match the exponent of \( 10^{-5} \): \[ 2.0 \times 10^{-7} = 0.02 \times 10^{-5} \]
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Now you can subtract: \[ 3.0 \times 10^{-5} - 0.02 \times 10^{-5} = (3.0 - 0.02) \times 10^{-5} = 2.98 \times 10^{-5} \]
This gives you the result in scientific notation. If you have specific numbers you'd like to subtract, feel free to share, and I can guide you through that example!
2 answers