The average human heart beats about 3.5 times 10^7 times per year. The current population of Massachusetts is about 7 times 10^6 people. About heartbeats occur in Massachusetts per year? Write the answer in scientific notation. Express the answer to the exact decimal places.
The total number of heartbeats per year in Massachusetts can be calculated by multiplying the number of people in Massachusetts by the average number of heartbeats per person per year:
(7 x 10^6) x (3.5 x 10^7) = 24.5 x 10^13
Since 24.5 is between 1 and 10, this answer can be written in scientific notation as:
2.45 x 10^14
Therefore, about 2.45 x 10^14 heartbeats occur in Massachusetts per year.