Final answer:
To multiply two numbers in scientific notation, multiply the coefficients and add the exponents; the exponents do not have to be the same, which makes the statement false.
Step-by-step explanation:
When multiplying two numbers written in scientific notation, the exponents don't need to be the same. You multiply the numbers in front, which are usually between 1 and 10, and then add the exponents if both are powers of 10. This process simplifies the multiplication of very large or very small numbers. Contrary to multiplication, when adding or subtracting numbers in scientific notation, they must first be converted so that the exponents match.
Example of Multiplication in Scientific Notation:
(3 × 105) × (2 × 100) = 6 × 105
In this example, even though the exponents are different, the multiplication is correctly performed. Therefore, the statement that exponents need to be the same when multiplying is false.