When multiplying two numbers in a scientific notation what operations do you use on the coefficients and the exponents of the powers of 10

1 answer

When multiplying two numbers in scientific notation, you multiply the coefficients and add the exponents of the powers of 10.

Let's say we have two numbers in scientific notation:

Number 1: a × 10^m,
Number 2: b × 10^n.

To multiply these two numbers, you perform the following operations:

1. Multiply the coefficients (a × b), this becomes the new coefficient.

2. Add the exponents of the powers of 10 (m + n), this becomes the new exponent.

The result of multiplying the two numbers in scientific notation will be:

Result: (a × b) × 10^(m + n).