Final answer:
To find the sum of (5.2x10²⁶) + (4.5x10²⁶), we simply add the coefficients since the exponent is the same, resulting in 9.7x10²⁶. This is an example of adding numbers in scientific notation. The correct answer is C.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the expression (5.2x10²⁶) + (4.5x10²⁶), we need to add the two numbers. Since both numbers have the same exponent, we can simply add the coefficients and keep the exponent of 10 unchanged. The coefficients 5.2 and 4.5 add up to 9.7. Therefore, the result is 9.7x10²⁶. This is an example of simplifying expressions using scientific notation, which is a way of expressing very large or very small numbers more compactly.
When dealing with scientific notation, always ensure that you add or subtract numbers with the same exponential part. If they are not the same, you need to adjust them so that they are. However, for multiplication and division, the exponential parts are handled differently: you add the exponents when multiplying and subtract them when dividing.
Let's further illustrate this with another example: if we have 1.04×10² and 2.60×10², and we need to add them, we would add 1.04 and 2.60 to get 3.64, and keep the exponent as is. Hence, the result would be 3.64×10².