MHB Algebra.... Answer should be 0?

[jangoom]

0.0162 * 0.000000000000002 divided by 0.000054 * 0.02

I keep getting 0 but when I try to see if its correct, it tells me its not. What the heck is the answer?

 

[topsquark]

0.0162 * 0.000000000000002 divided by 0.000054 * 0.02

I keep getting 0 but when I try to see if its correct, it tells me its not. What the heck is the answer?

You are putting this into a calculator, aren't you?

Try this: use Scientific notation for these. Your problem now becomes:
[math]\frac{1.62 \times 10^{-2} \cdot 2 \times 10^{-15}}{5.4 \times 10^{-5} \cdot 2 \times 10^{-2}}[/math]
(I think I got the zeros right.). Now all you need to do is calculate
[math]\frac{1.62 \times 2}{5.4 \times 2} \times \frac{10^{-2} \times 10^{-15}}{10^{-5} \times 10^{-2}}[/math]

-Dan

 

[jangoom]

Im still getting 0... to be honest sir I don't know how to solve it without a calculator... could you simplify this so I could learn? I need the answer as well but I need to learn how since I will have a test soon over this..

 

[topsquark]

Im still getting 0... to be honest sir I don't know how to solve it without a calculator... could you simplify this so I could learn? I need the answer as well but I need to learn how since I will have a test soon over this..

What part do you not know how to do?

Put [math]\frac{1.62 \times 2}{5.4 \times 2}[/math] in you calculator.

Now work this part out: [math]\frac{10^{-2} \times 10^{-15}}{10^{-5} \times 10^{-2}}[/math]

Hint: [math]10^{-x} = \frac{1}{10^x}[/math].

Can you finish from here?

-Dan

 

[soroban]

0.0162 * 0.000000000000002 divided by 0.000054 * 0.02

I keep getting 0 but when I try to see if its correct, it tells me its not. What the heck is the answer?

What type of calculator are you using?

It must be really primitive if it reads 0.000000000000002 as 0 (zero).
All recent calculators accept it as 2 \times 10^{-15}.

 

[HallsofIvy]

In basic arithmetic, you should have learned that the only way a fraction can be 0 is if the numerator is 0 and that the only way a product of numbers can be 0 is if at least one of the numbers is 0. Here, none of the given numbers is 0 so the result cannot be 0. Please do not let using a calculator be a substitute for learning arithmetic!

 

[Wilmer]

My cheap calculator gives:
.000 000 000 000 012
or: 1.2e-14

0.0162 * 0.000000000000002 divided by 0.000054 * 0.02

If it makes easier, multiply each by 10^15 (gets rid of decimal points):

16,200,000,000,000 * 2 / (54,000,000,000 * 20,000,000,000,000)