A student uses a calculator to estimate the number of leaves in a forest. The student’s calculation is based on an estimate of about 2 x 105 leaves on a mature tree. After the student performs some calculations, the calculator displays the result 2E -8.

Question

Which statement provides a reasonable explanation for the calculator’s result?

Answer 1

The calculator's result is likely 2E -8 because the student entered the number 2 x 105 as 2 * 10^5 instead of multiplying it out to get the actual value of 200,000. The calculator is displaying the result in scientific notation, where 2E -8 represents the number 0.00000002.