How do you multiply (2x104)(3x105)?

1 Answer
Mar 25, 2015

I'm not sure, but I think you mean (2×104)(3×105) (Use two x, 'xx' inside to get x instead of x

You can change the order of multiplication, so you'll multiply the parts that do not involve 10 to a power separately from the parts that do involve 10 to a power:

(2×104)(3×105)=2×104×3×105

=2×3×104×105

=(2×3)×(104×105)

=6×(104+5)

=6×109

Here's another example that skips some steps:

(3×105)(4×108)

=(3×4)×(105×108)

=12×(105+8)

=12×1013

But that is not in scientific notation, so we re-write it:

12=1.2×101 So
12×1013=1.2×101×1013
1.2×(101+13)

The final answer is:
1.2×1014