# Scientific Notation's Got Me Blown!

1. Jul 26, 2011

### Edin_Dzeko

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
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.

2. Relevant equations

V = C/Lambdah

3. The attempt at a solution
http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/7982/unledpg.jpg [Broken]

** 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.

Last edited by a moderator: May 5, 2017
2. Jul 26, 2011

### Pengwuino

When you put it into your calculator, you did ${{3x10^8}\over{515}}*10^-9$ to get that answer. Make sure you enclose the 10^-9 part in the denominator with parenthesis.

3. Jul 30, 2011

### zaldar

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. Jul 30, 2011

### Pengwuino

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. Jul 30, 2011

### zaldar

good lord.....people here? Do they not understand science...???? Theory in science means FACT. RAGE!!!!! Sigh....I mean theory of gravity anyone?

6. Jul 30, 2011

### Pengwuino

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".