High School

Determine the sum of [tex]$26.5 \times 10^4 + 9.4 \times 10^4$[/tex]. Write your answer in scientific notation.

A) [tex]$17.1 \times 10^8$[/tex]
B) [tex]$17.1 \times 10^4$[/tex]
C) [tex]$35.9 \times 10^9$[/tex]
D) [tex]$3.59 \times 10^5$[/tex]

Answer :

To solve the problem of finding the sum of [tex]\(26.5 \times 10^4 + 9.4 \times 10^4\)[/tex] and writing the answer in scientific notation, follow these steps:

1. Identify the numbers given in scientific notation:
- The first number is [tex]\(26.5 \times 10^4\)[/tex].
- The second number is [tex]\(9.4 \times 10^4\)[/tex].

2. Recognize that both numbers have the same power of ten ([tex]\(10^4\)[/tex]):
- This makes it easy to add the numbers since you can simply add their coefficients.

3. Add the coefficients:
- Add [tex]\(26.5\)[/tex] and [tex]\(9.4\)[/tex].
- [tex]\(26.5 + 9.4 = 35.9\)[/tex].

4. Combine the sum with the common power of ten:
- The resulting number is [tex]\(35.9 \times 10^4\)[/tex].

5. Express the result in proper scientific notation:
- In scientific notation, the coefficient should be a number between 1 and 10. To adjust this:
- Convert [tex]\(35.9 \times 10^4\)[/tex] to [tex]\(3.59 \times 10^5\)[/tex].

The final answer is in proper scientific notation: [tex]\(3.59 \times 10^5\)[/tex].

The correct option is:
D) [tex]\(3.59 \times 10^5\)[/tex]

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