Answer:
<em>D. 1.156 times 10^9</em>
<em />
<em>First we subtract the difference, </em>
<em>1,300,000,000 - 144,000,000 = 1156000000</em>
<em>Next, we find the number 1156000000 written in scientific notation.</em>
<em>Step 1
</em>
<em>To find a, take the number and move a decimal place to the right one position.
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>Original Number: 115,600,000
</em>
<em>New Number: 1.15600000
</em>
<em>Step 2
</em>
<em>Now, to find b, count how many places to the right of the decimal.
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>New Number: 1 . 1 5 6 0 0 0 0 0
</em>
<em>Decimal Count: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
</em>
<em>There are 8 places to the right of the decimal place.
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>Step 3
</em>
<em>Building upon what we know above, we can now reconstruct the number into scientific notation.
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>Remember, the notation is: a x 10b
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>a = 1.156 (Please notice any zeroes on the end have been removed)
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>b = 8
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>Now the whole thing:
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>1.156 x 108
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>Step 4
</em>
<em>Check your work:
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>108 = 100,000,000 x 1.156 = 115,600,000</em>
<em>Thus, 115,600,000 written in scientific notation is </em><em>1.156 times 10^9 estimated.</em>