In a given year, about 1.52 x 10^(10) pieces of first-class mail are delivered in the U.S. If each piece of mail carries a stamp costing $0.55, what is the total cost in dollars to deliver all the pieces? Write the answer in scientific notation, expressed to the exact decimal place. (1 point)
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To find the total cost, we can multiply the number of pieces of mail by the cost per piece.
Number of pieces of mail = 1.52 x 10^(10)
Cost per piece = $0.55
Total cost = (1.52 x 10^(10)) x ($0.55)
To multiply numbers in scientific notation, we multiply the coefficients and add the exponents:
Total cost = (1.52) x (0.55) x 10^(10)
Multiplying the coefficients:
Total cost = 0.836 x 10^(10)
In scientific notation, the coefficient is typically between 1 and 10, so we can rewrite 0.836 as 8.36 x 10^(-1). We will also adjust the exponent accordingly:
Total cost = 8.36 x 10^(-1) x 10^(10)
Adding the exponents:
Total cost = 8.36 x 10^(10-1)
Simplifying the exponent:
Total cost = 8.36 x 10^9
Therefore, the total cost in dollars to deliver all the pieces of mail is $8.36 x 10^9.