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Mexico has an approximate area of 1.95 × 106 square kilometers. The area of the Sahara desert is about 4.4 times as great as that of Mexico. What is the approximate area of the Sahara desert? Give your answer in scientific notation.

User Tom Grant
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1 Answer

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Based on the given information, you can write the area of Sahara desert as follow:


A=4.4(1.95\cdot10^6\operatorname{km})

In order to simplify the previous expression, multiply the coefficients 4.4 and 1.95, and put the same factor 10^6:


\begin{gathered} 4.4\cdot1.95=8.58 \\ A=8.58\cdot10^6\operatorname{km}^2 \\ A\approx8.6\cdot10^6\operatorname{km}^2 \end{gathered}

in scientific notation, you put only one number after the decimal point.

User Leszek Jasek
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