Thursday, December 17, 2009

When dividing numbers in scientific notation on my TI-84, it adds the exponents instead of subtracting. Help?

For example, six times ten to the 20th divided by 2 times ten to the negative 10th should be 3 times 10 to the 30th, but the calculator answers 3 times 10 to the 10th. Am I entering the problem incorrectly? The problem only occurs when the divisor has a negative exponent.When dividing numbers in scientific notation on my TI-84, it adds the exponents instead of subtracting. Help?
I had a calculator once. I got it from a box of Kellogs. I tried to add exponents too but my calculator keeps telling me 'E' at the end. So I decided to put the calculator back into the box of cereal, and I don't have a problem with exponents anymore.When dividing numbers in scientific notation on my TI-84, it adds the exponents instead of subtracting. Help?
better enclose the whole divisor in parenthesis; thus


6*10exp20 / (2*10exp-10) = 3*10exp30.





try it.
maybe... try putting the entire denominator in parentheses


and enter...

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