Question

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.

Answer 1

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:
\[
\boxed{6.54987034 \times 10^8}
\]