Why does my calculator show e^-11 is .000017 when the right answer is 1.67?

Question

anonymous · Answer

because the right answer is not 1.67

mertsj · Answer

e^-11 means "the reciprocal of e^11"

anonymous · Answer

"e^(-11) = 1.67017008 × 10-5" according to google, what is the correct answer ?

anonymous · Answer

that equates to 1/e^11 which sounds like the output of your caculator how are you getting your answer?

anonymous · Answer

10^-5 = 0.00001

anonymous · Answer

e^-11 = 0.0000167...

mathmate · Answer

There are different settings for the display.  You may have selected fixed decimal display.  Scientific display will give more significant figures.
On mine, it shows 0.000016702, the right answer should be 1.670170079024566*10^-5 if you display in scientific notation.

anonymous · Answer

i am submitting this .000017 into my online hw and it marks it as wrong

anonymous · Answer

that is not an exact answer but a rounding

myininaya · Answer

does it want it a certain way?

anonymous · Answer

mathmate's answer looks right

mathmate · Answer

Online answers should specify the number of significant figures they expect, 6 decimal places, or 4 significant figures, etc.

anonymous · Answer

doesnt specify

anonymous · Answer

how do i change the display/settings to get mathmate's answer?

mathmate · Answer

Perhaps at the beginning of the instructions.

myininaya · Answer

can you type this 1/e^(11)

myininaya · Answer

$$\frac{1}{e^{11}}$$

mathmate · Answer

Good point!

mathmate · Answer

Or e^(-11)

anonymous · Answer

it becomes e^-11 then diamond enter gives .000017 and not the 1.67

myininaya · Answer

can you enter 1/e^(11) in your homework?

anonymous · Answer

got it right. thanks myininaya

anonymous · Answer

but still dont know why theres two diff answers for it on calc, 1.67 and .000017?

myininaya · Answer

it probably says to simplify and that just means for this problem it wanted you to write the number without negative exponent

myininaya · Answer

you said google was giving you the answer

$$1.67 \cdot 10^{-5}=.0000167$$

anonymous · Answer

oh 167 rounds to 17. ohhhhhh!

myininaya · Answer

some calculators will give you more digits then other calculators it just depends 
yes!

myininaya · Answer

well .0000167 rounds to .000017
but i know what you mean

myininaya · Answer

you can round 167 to 170

anonymous · Answer

thank you

myininaya · Answer

np have a great night

anonymous · Answer

To 40 digits according to Mathematica:

0.00001670170079024565931263551736058087907794