Place the number is descending order.
2.3 x 10^-10; 3.2 x 10^-10; 2.3 x 10^-12; 2.3 x 10^-8
To place the given numbers in descending order, we need to compare their magnitudes. The magnitudes of these numbers are determined by the exponent values (the number after the "x 10^").
Let's start by comparing the magnitudes of the given numbers:
2.3 x 10^-10
3.2 x 10^-10
2.3 x 10^-12
2.3 x 10^-8
Comparing their exponents, we can see that 10^-12 is the smallest exponent, followed by 10^-10 and 10^-8. However, we have two numbers with an exponent of 10^-10. To further compare these two numbers, we need to consider their coefficients (the number before the "x").
Since 2.3 is the coefficient for both numbers with 10^-10 as the exponent, we can't differentiate them based on the coefficient. In this case, we move on to the next decimal place to compare.
Comparing the second decimal place, we have 2 vs. 3. Since 3 is greater than 2, we can conclude that 3.2 x 10^-10 is greater than 2.3 x 10^-10.
Now, organizing the numbers in descending order:
3.2 x 10^-10
2.3 x 10^-10
2.3 x 10^-8
2.3 x 10^-12
Therefore, the descending order of the given numbers is:
3.2 x 10^-10, 2.3 x 10^-10, 2.3 x 10^-8, 2.3 x 10^-12.