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Mathematics 18 Online
OpenStudy (anonymous):

What does -3.4 E + 38 mean? (In normal number terms).

OpenStudy (anonymous):

is that -3.4^38 ?

OpenStudy (across):

That means -340000000000000000000000000000000000000.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

-3.4x10^38

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Oh! Thanks @across :) so the +38 means plus thirty eight zeroes right?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Basically yes. If it were -38, you'd move the decimal place the other direction, such that it would become -0.0000000...034.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

oh. and what does 172.5E5 mean?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

It means 17250000.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

so -3.4 E +38 could also be written as -3.4E39? (39 cuz the 4 comes after the decimal)

OpenStudy (anonymous):

No. -3.4*10^38 (note that this is the same as -3.4E+38 it's just a slightly different, and I'd say probably more common, notation) is equivalent to -0.34*10^39.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

oh. i geddit! thanks :)

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