Use scientific notation to determine which of these numbers has the greatest value:

654,987,034; 645,897,430; or
546,789,340. Write your answer in scientific notation, expressed to the exact decimal place.

1 answer

To compare the numbers 654,987,034; 645,897,430; and 546,789,340 using scientific notation, we convert each number:

  1. 654,987,034 can be expressed in scientific notation as: \[ 654,987,034 = 6.54987034 \times 10^8 \]

  2. 645,897,430 can be expressed in scientific notation as: \[ 645,897,430 = 6.45897430 \times 10^8 \]

  3. 546,789,340 can be expressed in scientific notation as: \[ 546,789,340 = 5.46789340 \times 10^8 \]

Now we can compare the numbers by examining the coefficients (the numbers before \( \times 10^8 \)):

  • \( 6.54987034 \)
  • \( 6.45897430 \)
  • \( 5.46789340 \)

Among these coefficients, \( 6.54987034 \) is the largest.

Thus, the number with the greatest value is: \[ \boxed{6.54987034 \times 10^8} \]