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To add or subtract numbers in scientific notation you first need to equalise their exponents. Having done that, you carry out the addition or subtraction on the significands and append the common exponent. Then you adjust the exponent so that the significand is between 1 and 10.

For example,

1.234*104 - 2.34*102

(equalise exponents) = 123.4*102 - 2.34*102

(carry out subtraction) = (123.4-2.34)*102 = 121.06*102

(adjust exponent) = 1.2106*104

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Q: How do you add and subtract numbers using scientific notation?
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Related questions

What is the disadvantage of using scientific notation?

If you are adding or subtracting two numbers in scientific notation, you must rewrite one of the numbers to the same power of ten as the other, before performing the addition (or subtraction).


What is the point of using scientific notation?

The point of using scientific notation is to compute very large or very small numbers.


What is the purpose for using scientific notation in scientific?

Using scientific notation reduces the need to write out very large or very small numbers as the following examples show:- 1,000,000,000,000 = 1.0*1012 in scientific notation 0.0000000001 = 1.0*10-10 in scientific notation


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they express the numbers using scientific notation


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Only if the numbers to be converted into scientific notation are the same otherwise the exponents can vary according to the size the numbers.


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scientific notation


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scientific notation.


When you abbreviate very large or vary small numbers you are using?

scientific notation


Writing numbers in standard form with decimals and powers?

It is using the scientific notation.


When is expressing using scientific notation useful?

When numbers are tremendously large or small.


Is exponential notation the same as scientific notation?

No. 35 is exponential notation, (3 is the base of the exponent 5), but in scientific notation the base must be 10 and the exponent must be an integer. 100.1 is exponential notation but not sci. notation.


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The practical uses of scientific notation are to compute very large or very small numbers.