Final answer:
When solving the multiplication of (7.31 × 10⁴) and (3.23 × 10³), we first multiply the coefficients (7.31 × 3.23) and then add the exponents of ten (4 + 3). Limiting to three significant figures, the answer is (23.6 × 10⁷).
Step-by-step explanation:
The question we are solving is the product of two numbers written in scientific notation: (7.31 × 10⁴) × (3.23 × 10³). To solve this, we multiply the decimal numbers and then add the exponents of ten.
- First, multiply the coefficients: 7.31 × 3.23 = 23.6113.
- Next, add the exponents of 10: 10⁴ × 10³ = 10⁷ (because 4 + 3 = 7).
- Combine both results: 23.6113 × 10⁷.
To limit the answer to three significant figures, we round the decimal to 23.6, resulting in (23.6 × 10⁷), which is the final answer in scientific notation.