Final answer:
To calculate the perimeter of a rectangle in scientific notation, divide the given area by the width to find the length, then use the perimeter formula (P = 2×length + 2×width), accounting for the power of 10 in your calculations to maintain proper notation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The perimeter of a rectangle can be found using the formula P = 2×length + 2×width. Given the area of the rectangle (2.76 x 10^12 square units) and the width (4.6 x 10^5 units), we can find the length by dividing the area by the width. The length would therefore be the area divided by the width which is (2.76 x 10^12) / (4.6 x 10^5) = 6 x 10^6 units. Now that we have the length and width, we can calculate the perimeter by substituting into the formula: P = 2×(6 x 10^6) + 2×(4.6 x 10^5) = 1.2 x 10^7 + 9.2 x 10^5. Converting the width to the same power of 10, we get P = 1.2 x 10^7 + 0.092 x 10^7 = 1.292 x 10^7 units. This expresses the perimeter in scientific notation.