Do you think adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing numbers written in scientific notation is easiest? Why? Use adding
I believe adding numbers written in scientific notation is the easiest operation among the four mentioned (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing). This is because adding numbers written in scientific notation requires the fewest steps and is more straightforward compared to the other operations.
When adding numbers in scientific notation, the first step is to ensure that both numbers have the same exponent. To achieve this, we can adjust one or both numbers by moving the decimal point and changing the exponent accordingly. Once the exponents are aligned, we simply add the digits in front of the exponent.
For example, let's add 3.2 x 10^4 and 1.7 x 10^3:
Step 1: Adjust the exponents:
3.2 x 10^4 = 32 x 10^3 (moved the decimal point one place to the right)
1.7 x 10^3 (unchanged)
Step 2: Add the digits:
32 x 10^3 + 1.7 x 10^3 = 33.7 x 10^3
Final answer: 33.7 x 10^3
As we can see, adding numbers in scientific notation only requires two simple steps, adjusting the exponents and adding the digits, making it relatively easier than the other operations.