Question

The distance to the sun is approximately 93,000,000 mi. A firefly is about 0.04 in. long. (a) What is the distance to the sun written in scientific notation? (3 points- Show your work) (b) What is the length of a firefly written in scientific notation? (3 points- Show your work) (c) The distance to the sun in inches is . How many fireflies would it take to reach the sun if they were put end to end? (4 points- SHOW YOUR WORK)

Answer 1

A) The answer is 9.3 * 10⁷ mi

First, represent the number as the product of a number in the range 1 up to 10 and a number divisible by 10:
93,000,000 mi = 9.3 * 10,000,000 mi

10,000,000 = 10 * 10 * 10 * 10 * 10 * 10 * 10 = 10⁷

 93,000,000 mi = 9.3 * 10,000,000 mi = 9.3 * 10⁷ mi


b) The answer is 4 * 10⁻² in

Represent the number as the product of a number in the range 1 up to 10 and a number divisible by 10.
0.04 in = 4 * 0.01 in

0.01 = 10⁻²

0.04 in = 4 * 0.01 in = 4 * 10⁻² in


c) The distance to the sun in inches is  5,892,480,000,000 in

1 mi = 63,360 in
93,000,000 mi = 93,000,000 * 63,360 in = 5,892,480,000,000 in

How many fireflies would it take to reach the sun if they were put end to end:
147,312,000,000,000

x - number of fireflies
x * 0.04 in = 5,892,480,000,000 in
x = 5,892,480,000,000 in / 0.04 in
x = 147,312,000,000,000