## anonymous 4 years ago A family refers to two or more people related by marriage,birth, or adoption who reside together. in 2000, in Country A, the average networth of a family was $240,000 and there were about 8.8 * 10 to the seventh power families. Calculate the total networth of a family in 2000 • This Question is Closed 1. anonymous I came up with .0027 but I do not think that is right 2. jim_thompson5910 it says "in 2000, in Country A, the average networth of a family was$240,000 " so the question is asking what's already given...something seems off

3. anonymous

I typed it as it was written, I have to use scientific notation and round to the nearest tenth as needed $\frac{ 2.4*10^{5} }{ ?8.8*10^{7} }$

4. jim_thompson5910

i see how you got 0.0027, but the problem doesn't make sense. It gives you the net worth, but asks you what the net worth is.

5. anonymous

Then I came up with $2.7\times10^{-2}$

6. anonymous

I see what you are saying about that as well Im so lost lol

7. jim_thompson5910

$\frac{ 2.4*10^{5} }{ 8.8*10^{7} } = \frac{2.4}{8.8} \times 10^{5-7}$ $\frac{ 2.4*10^{5} }{ 8.8*10^{7} } = 0.27 \times 10^{-2}$ $\frac{ 2.4*10^{5} }{ 8.8*10^{7} } = (2.7 \times 10^{-1}) \times 10^{-2}$ $\frac{ 2.4*10^{5} }{ 8.8*10^{7} } = 2.7 \times 10^{-1-2}$ $\frac{ 2.4*10^{5} }{ 8.8*10^{7} } = 2.7 \times 10^{-3}$

8. jim_thompson5910

but I doubt that's what you're looking for since they want the net worth

9. anonymous

I am not sure where you came up with the 2.7 x $10^{-1-2}$ because my examples from other problems just subtract straight down

10. jim_thompson5910

I'm adding the exponents because I'm multiplying 10^(-1) and 10^(-2)

11. jim_thompson5910

-1 + (-2) = -1 - 2

12. anonymous

No I get that part, what I do not get is where the $10^{-1}$ even came from????

13. jim_thompson5910

oh 0.27 = 2.7 x 10^(-1)

14. anonymous

Well almost I am pretty sure that if you take the original equation and then

15. anonymous

divide the parts seperately it equals $2.7\times10^{-2}$

16. jim_thompson5910

the answer is 0.0027, which in scientific notation is 2.7 x 10^(-3)

17. jim_thompson5910

so you're missing that 10^(-1)

18. jim_thompson5910

well i mean $\frac{ 2.4*10^{5} }{ 8.8*10^{7} } = 0.0027$

19. anonymous

So Country A's total family net worth is .0027 dollars?

20. jim_thompson5910

problem is...that makes no sense whatsoever

21. jim_thompson5910

if that was true, then this is the poorest country ever (and I mean really poor)

22. anonymous

lol now you see my confusion

23. jim_thompson5910

yeah this problem is just messed up

24. jim_thompson5910

I'm sry

25. anonymous

maybe it is asking for the total networth of all the families combined.?

26. jim_thompson5910

hmm good point, but it says Calculate the total networth of A FAMILY in 2000 so idk

27. anonymous

I see the confusion. The problem is worded funny. It is your choice, finding the total seems more logical to me. As we are told in engineering, if you state your assumption you can not be wrong, haha. So state I am assuming they are asking for the total networth of all families. haha

28. anonymous

I don't like this problem ultimately.

29. jim_thompson5910

same here

30. anonymous

Is it maybe asking that i use the scientific notation of simplifying the $240,000 down to 2.4 x $10^{5}$ 31. jim_thompson5910 I'd just say the answer is$240,000...that's what they're asking for

32. jim_thompson5910

sure you can write the answer in sci notation if you want

33. anonymous

Thank you to you both, I'm simply going to show the work and then explain where the word problem became confusing as to what it was asking for.

34. jim_thompson5910

np

35. anonymous

The problem does not make meaning something is missing

36. anonymous

That is the entire problem. and then it says Country A's total family net worth is ____ dollars? (use scientific notation, and round to the nearest tenth as needed

37. anonymous

well the answer ended up being $2.1\times10^{13}$

38. jim_thompson5910

hmm there's probably some formula used to get that...not sure which one