Scientific Notation's Got Me Blown

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In summary: Basically, a theory is a model that explains some observed phenomena. It's a way of looking at things that is not necessarily 100% correct, but it's a good approximation that has led to many discoveries. However, just because a theory is accepted by the scientific community doesn't mean it's true. There is still much to learn and explore about the world we live in. For example, the theory of evolution is widely accepted by scientists, but there is still much debate about its accuracy.
  • #1
Edin_Dzeko
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Homework Statement


A laser used to dazzle the audience in a rock concert emits green light with a wave length of 515 nm. Calculate the frequency of the light.


Homework Equations



V = C/Lambdah

The Attempt at a Solution


http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/7982/unledpg.jpg

** In the image I forgot to knock off the "nm" after I did the dimensional analysis to convert it to m disregard it***

My answer when I put it in my calculator is what's in the image but the book has the correct answer as: 5.83 x 10^14 s

How did they get 10x^14? If the bases aren't the same what happens to the exponents?

There was another problem which was solved by the book itself:

3.00 x 10^8 m/(s/s) - **(means s cancels out)
---------------------------
4.62 x 10^14 /(s/s) - ** (means s cancels out)

= 6.49 x 10^-7 m (how did they get -7?)!


Btw, I'm doing the wavelength and frequency equation in Chemistry.
 
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  • #2
When you put it into your calculator, you did [itex]{{3x10^8}\over{515}}*10^-9[/itex] to get that answer. Make sure you enclose the 10^-9 part in the denominator with parenthesis.
 
  • #3
correct and I love your tagline pengwuino amazingly some physicists I know that don't believe in evolution...truly I fear for my country and the world...
 
  • #4
zaldar said:
correct and I love your tagline pengwuino amazingly some physicists I know that don't believe in evolution...truly I fear for my country and the world...

Thanks. Someone else on the forum actually said it and I stole it from him to use as a signature.

Unfortunately, a couple people have said "Oh so you think evolution is fake huh!".
 
  • #5
good lord...people here? Do they not understand science...? Theory in science means FACT. RAGE! Sigh...I mean theory of gravity anyone?
 
  • #6
zaldar said:
good lord...people here? Do they not understand science...? Theory in science means FACT. RAGE! Sigh...I mean theory of gravity anyone?

Hmm careful, no it doesn't. In scientific context, "facts" are few and far between. A theory in science really has its own meaning that is not exactly like "fact" and far from the lay term "theory".
 

1. What is scientific notation and how is it used in science?

Scientific notation is a way of writing numbers that are very large or very small in a more concise and organized manner. It is commonly used in science to represent values such as distances in space or the weight of atoms, which can have many digits and can be hard to work with in standard form.

2. How do you convert a number from scientific notation to standard form?

To convert a number from scientific notation to standard form, you need to move the decimal point to the left or right based on the exponent. If the exponent is positive, move the decimal point to the right; if the exponent is negative, move the decimal point to the left. The number of places you move the decimal point is equal to the absolute value of the exponent.

3. Why is scientific notation important in scientific calculations?

Scientific notation is important in scientific calculations because it allows for more accurate and precise representation of very large or very small numbers. It also makes it easier to work with these numbers and perform calculations, as opposed to using standard form which can be cumbersome and prone to errors.

4. Can you give an example of a real-life application of scientific notation?

One example of a real-life application of scientific notation is in astronomy. Scientists often use scientific notation to represent distances between celestial objects, such as the distance between planets or stars. For example, the distance between Earth and the Sun is approximately 93 million miles, which can be written in scientific notation as 9.3 x 10^7 miles.

5. How do you know when to use scientific notation in a scientific problem?

You should use scientific notation in a scientific problem when the numbers involved are extremely large or small, typically with more than 6-7 digits. Additionally, if the numbers have many zeros, it is more efficient to use scientific notation to avoid writing out all the zeros. It is also commonly used when dealing with very precise measurements or calculations in science.

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