Question

Olivia is intersted in art and science and remembers that each color has a diffrent wavelength.Oliva science teacher says that yellow has a wavelength of around 5.8 X 10 negative 9 exponet, green has a wavelength of around 5.5 X 10 negative 9 exponet, blue has a wavelength of around 4.9 X 10 negative 9, and violet has a wavelength of around 4.1 X 10 negative 9, Which color has the greatest wavelength?

Answer 1

Since all of the wavelengths for the visible light spectrum have the same exponent (10^-9) you should compare the mantissa (the significant digits) and see which one is the biggest.

Answer 2

how?

Answer 3

just ignore the \(10^{-9}\) parts, and compare each value to find the largest one.

Answer 4

but when i put them in a calculator 5.8 X 10 negative 9 for example it gives me, .0000000006 and then when i do the rest for another example 5.5 X 10 negative 9 it gives me the samething as before. so I have to answers basically. But the other two i checked its not the large number

Answer 5

it's difficult to compare them by using the calculator; the numbers actually can't fit. You should do it by hand.

Answer 6

im using a scientific calculator though

Answer 7

What model? It might be able to display the numbers correctly.

Answer 8

um let me check give me a second

Answer 9

Texas instruments TI-30XS multiview

Answer 10

Too bad I'm not familiar with that one (I am only familiar with the other TI graphing calculator models), but I'll check out its manual

Answer 11

Hmm it can only display 9 significant digits sorry :( so you have to do it by hand

Answer 12

oh ok yeah i was thinking that could u help me

Answer 13

Let's start simple by comparing two of them

so you have yellow as having \(5.8 * 10^{-9} \) wavelength and green as having \( 5.5 * 10^{-9} \) wavelength.

Which one has the greatest wavelength?

Answer 14

Since their exponent, \( 10^{-9} \) is the same, you can compare 5.8 and 5.5 directly, and see that yellow has a bigger wavelength than green

Answer 15

so thats all there is to it usually it wouldnt be that easy

Answer 16

If the exponent is different (like maybe one of the wavelengths has a \( 10^{-10} \) instead, then you only consider the one with the bigger exponent