Question

Erin is studying the area and population of different states. A. What is the difference in total area of Alaska and Connecticut? Express your answer in scientific notation. Show your work or explain your answer. B. What is the difference in total population of California and Alaska? Express your answer in scientific notation. Show your work or explain your answer.

Answer 1

A. Total area of Alaska is considerable larger than total area of Connecticut.

B. Population of California is considerably larger that population of Alaska.

Explanation:

A. What is the difference in total area of Alaska and Connecticut?

According to the US government, total areas of Alaska and Connecticut are 663,268 square miles (
`6.633* 10^(5)` square miles) and 5,567 square miles (
`5.567* 10^(3)` square miles), respectively.

The difference between both quantities is:

`x = 6.633* 10^(5)\,mi^(2)-5.567* 10^(3)\,mi^(2)`

`x = 6.577* 10^(5)\,mi^(2)`

Which means that total area of Alaska is considerable larger than total area of Connecticut.

B. What is the difference in total population of California and Alaska?

According to the US government, total populations of California and Alaska are 39,512,223 people (
`3.951* 10^(7)` people) and 710,249 people (
`7.103* 10^(5)` people), respectively.

The difference between both quantities is:

`x = 3.951* 10^(7)\,people - 7.103* 10^(5)\,people`

`x = 3.880* 10^(7)\,people`

Which means that population of California is considerably larger that population of Alaska.