Question

Give the correct number of significant figures to the problem below. 4.5 x 1014 / 8.3 x 108 = A) 5.4 x 1021 B) 5.4 x 1022 C) 5.4 x 106 D) 5.4 x 1014 E) 5.4 x 105

Answer 1

The correct answer to the problem 4.5 x 1014 / 8.3 x 108 is C) 5.4 x 106, respecting the rule of two significant figures in the result. So the correct option is C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The calculation of 4.5 x 1014 / 8.3 x 108 should be made with attention to significant figures in the initial numbers. When dividing numbers in scientific notation, you divide the coefficients (e.g., 4.5/8.3) and then subtract the exponents in the powers of ten (14 - 8 = 6). Each coefficient has two significant figures, and so the final result should be reported with two significant figures. Therefore, the correct computation yields 5.42, which should be rounded to two significant figures, giving 5.4. Taking the subtraction of the exponents into account, the correct scientific notation is 5.4 x 106.

When looking at the provided options, we can identify that the correct answer is C) 5.4 x 106 since this respects both the significant figures and exponent rules mentioned above.