Final answer:
16 x 10^8 is 2 x 10^4 times larger than 8 x 10^4. None of the provided options (A, B, C, D) match this result, indicating a potential typo or misunderstanding in the question. It's important to correctly apply the laws of exponents when comparing scientific notations.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how many times larger than 8 x 104 is 16 x 108, we need to divide the latter by the former:
(16 x 108) / (8 x 104)
This simplifies by first reducing the coefficients (16 / 8 = 2) and then applying the law of exponents for division, which states that when dividing like bases, you subtract the exponents (108 / 104 = 108-4 = 104).
The division gives us:
2 x 104
This means that 16 x 108 is 2 x 104 times larger than 8 x 104. This does not match any of the provided options, which means there might be a typo or misunderstanding in the original question or the provided options. To correctly compare, we must ensure the bases and exponents are calculated accurately. When comparing scientific notations, we first compare coefficients and then adjust the exponents accordingly.