Question

Calculate the answer. Express it in scientific notation and include the correct number of significant figures.

(12 x 10^4) x (5 x 10^-2)
6 x 10^3
6.0 x 10^2
6 x 10^6

Answer 1

6x10^3

Step-by-step explanation:

By multiplying (12 x 10^4) and (5 x 10^-2) we get

120000 x 0.05 = 6000

Since we are multiplying, the number of significant figures we need comes from the number with the least amount of sig figs in the problem (5 x 10^-2 has only 1 sig fig, 12 x 10^4 has 2). Therefore, our answer should only have 1 significant figure and we get 6 x 10^3.