Question

Calculate the answer to the following expression to the correct number of significant figures.

Answer 1

Answer :  The answer will be $\Rightarrow 2\times 10^{13}$

Explanation :

Significant figures : The figures in a number which express the value -the magnitude of a quantity to a specific degree of accuracy is known as significant digits.

The rule apply for the multiplication and division is :

The least number of significant figures in any number of the problem determines the number of significant figures in the answer.

As we are given the expression :

$\frac{4\times 10^8}{2.0\times 10^{-5}}$

$\Rightarrow 2\times 10^{13}$

In the given expression, $4\times 10^8$ has 1 significant figure and $2.0\times 10^{-5}$ has 2 significant figures. From this we conclude that 1 is the least significant figures in this problem. So, the answer should be in 1 significant figures.

Thus, the answer will be $\Rightarrow 2\times 10^{13}$