Question

In 1980, the United States' national debt exceeded $9 billion dollars. Express the exact dollar amount in scientific notation. Use complete sentences to explain, step by step, how to convert a number from standard form to scientific notation. You may use your answer to question #1 to help you explain the process. Calculate, in scientific notation, how many times greater the recorded debt in 2010 is compared to the recorded debt in 1960. Express your answer in proper scientific notation

Answer 1

Well, 9 billion = 9,000,000,000 so in scientific form it would be 9 x 10^9 To get the exponent, just count the number of zeros, which for 9 billion we have 9

Answer 2

$9 billion has 9 zeros so would be written as 9,000,000,000

 to write in scientific notation move the decimal point 9 places to the left so the number becomes 9

now that would be multiplied by 10 to an exponent. The exponent is equal to the number of spaced you moved the decimal point. In this case you moved it 9 places

 so scientific notation is 9x10^9

 1960 debt was 2.86x10^9, 2010 debt was 1.3562*10^13 -= 2.1x10^4 times more