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very silly question

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by Gurpinder » Sat Aug 14, 2010 7:15 am
453.122 x 10 = 4531.22

453.122 x 10^3 = 453122

453.122 x 10^-2 = 4.53122 ????????????????

so when we have a negative exponent like this one, do we simply move the decimal to the left based on what the exponent is.

so if the exponent is -2, do we go 2 places to the left or 3???

thanks to all
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by shibal » Sat Aug 14, 2010 7:58 am
Gurpinder wrote:453.122 x 10 = 4531.22

453.122 x 10^3 = 453122

453.122 x 10^-2 = 4.53122 ????????????????

so when we have a negative exponent like this one, do we simply move the decimal to the left based on what the exponent is.

so if the exponent is -2, do we go 2 places to the left or 3???

thanks to all
when exponent is negative you go left. you said -2, thus you go 2 spaces to the left

i.e. 95400 * 10^-3 = 95.4
i.e2. 95400 * 10^-4 = 9.54
i.e.3 95400 * 10^-5 = 0.954

hope it helps
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by Gurpinder » Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:10 am
shibal wrote:
Gurpinder wrote:453.122 x 10 = 4531.22

453.122 x 10^3 = 453122

453.122 x 10^-2 = 4.53122 ????????????????

so when we have a negative exponent like this one, do we simply move the decimal to the left based on what the exponent is.

so if the exponent is -2, do we go 2 places to the left or 3???

thanks to all
when exponent is negative you go left. you said -2, thus you go 2 spaces to the left

i.e. 95400 * 10^-3 = 95.4
i.e2. 95400 * 10^-4 = 9.54
i.e.3 95400 * 10^-5 = 0.954

hope it helps
best
ok.....so when i do this 4x10^-2 --- why do i get .4 when the book says that its .04 ?????

10^-2 = .1

and .1x4 = .4

what am i doing wrong!!!!
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by kvcpk » Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:42 am
Gurpinder wrote: ok.....so when i do this 4x10^-2 --- why do i get .4 when the book says that its .04 ?????

10^-2 = .1

and .1x4 = .4

what am i doing wrong!!!!
10^-2 =1*10^-2
So now, put the decimal dot(.) 2 spaces before 1.(including 1)
Hence 0.01

4* 10^-2
Hence = 0.04

Hope this helps!!
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by Stuart@KaplanGMAT » Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:35 am
Gurpinder wrote:453.122 x 10 = 4531.22

453.122 x 10^3 = 453122

453.122 x 10^-2 = 4.53122 ????????????????

so when we have a negative exponent like this one, do we simply move the decimal to the left based on what the exponent is.

so if the exponent is -2, do we go 2 places to the left or 3???

thanks to all
Hi!

A negative exponent is the same as the reciprocal of the positive exponent.

For example, 2^(-4) = 1/(2^4)

So, when you multiply by 10 to a negative exponent, you're really dividing by 10 to the positive exponent.

Using your example:

453.122 x 10^-2 = 453.122 / 10^2 = 453.122 / 100 = 4.53122

As you noted, this simply means that you move the decimal to the left for negative powers of 10 and to the right for positive powers of 10.

Similarly:

4 x 10^-2

= 4 / 10^2

= 4 / 100

= .04
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