Question

The age of the universe is thought to be about 14 billion years. Assuming two significant figures, write this in powers of ten in $(a)$ years, $(b)$ seconds.

Name: Problem 1, Chapter 1: Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics
Uploaded: 2022-09-16T12:48:45-08:00
Channel: Sarah Parrigin
Description: The age of the universe is thought to be about 14 billion years. Assuming two significant figures, write this in powers of ten in (a) years, (b) seconds.

   The age of the universe is thought to be about 14 billion years. Assuming two significant figures, write this in powers of ten in $(a)$ years, $(b)$ seconds.

Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics

Douglas C. Giancoli 4th Edition

Chapter 1, Problem 1

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert Sarah Parrigin

09/16/2022

Step 1

In scientific notation, this can be written as $1.4 \times 10^{10}$ years. This is because there are 10 zeros in a billion, and we move the decimal point 10 places to the right from the position it is in 1.4. Show more…

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The age of the universe is thought to be about 14 billion years. Assuming two significant figures, write this in powers of ten in $(a)$ years, $(b)$ seconds.

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Key Concepts

Scientific Notation

Scientific notation is a way of expressing very large or very small numbers as a product of a number between 1 and 10 and a power of ten. This representation simplifies calculations and improves readability when dealing with quantities like astronomical distances, timescales, or microscopic sizes.

Significant Figures

Significant figures are the digits in a number that contribute to its precision. In calculations, specifying the number of significant figures ensures that the uncertainty in measurements is appropriately carried through, which is crucial when expressing scientific quantities accurately.

Unit Conversion

Unit conversion involves changing a measurement from one unit to another using conversion factors. This ensures that values expressed in different units (for example, years and seconds) can be compared, combined, or understood within the appropriate context without loss of accuracy.

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