What does E mean in this format?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding the notation used in a polynomial equation generated by Excel, specifically the meaning of "E" in the context of scientific notation. Participants are exploring how to rewrite the polynomial equation in a format compatible with Excel formulas.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes the polynomial trend line generated by Excel, expressing confusion about the "E" notation used in the coefficients.
  • Another participant suggests that "E" represents "10^x" and implies that the coefficients for x^3 and higher terms are effectively zero.
  • A different participant seeks clarification on how to write the polynomial as an Excel formula, indicating difficulty in understanding the notation.
  • One reply provides a formula using the "E" notation directly in Excel, while also noting that the higher order terms contribute negligibly to the overall equation.
  • Another participant elaborates on the meaning of the coefficients in scientific notation, converting them into decimal form for clarity.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of understanding regarding the "E" notation, with some agreeing on its representation of scientific notation while others seek further clarification on how to apply it in Excel. The discussion does not reach a consensus on the best way to format the polynomial for Excel.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the interpretation of "E" and its application in Excel formulas remain unresolved, and there is a lack of clarity on the significance of the higher order terms in the polynomial.

Tmp
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I'm just playing around with some stuff in excel.

I asked it to create a Polynomial trend line to the order 6 adn it came back wiht this...

Y = -9E-19x6 + 2E-14x5 - 2E-10x4 + 1E-06x3 - 0.0027x2 + 3.5222x - 1656.5


I just want to write that as a formula, but what's the E? I've seen it used to represent x10# before but that dosent seem to fit?

Can someone rewrite that in a format that works in excel?

eg.. = (10^-9)-(19*x^6)...
 
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It is 10^x, in this case it means that the coeficients in x^3 and higher are zero.
 
I kind of get what your saying but I still can't see how I can write that as a formula that will work in excel if someone can do it I'm sure I'll be able to make sense of it
 
assuming that x is a cell A1 then you can use E directly in any number

= -9E-19*power(A1,6) + 2E-14*power(A1,5) - 2E-10*power(A1,4) + 1E-06*power(A1,3) - 0.0027*power(A1,2) + 3.5222*A1- 1656.5

Although because the higher terms are so small this is really just

= 0.0027*A1*A1 + 3.5222*A1- 1656.5
 
Tmp said:
I'm just playing around with some stuff in excel.

I asked it to create a Polynomial trend line to the order 6 adn it came back wiht this...

Y = -9E-19x6 + 2E-14x5 - 2E-10x4 + 1E-06x3 - 0.0027x2 + 3.5222x - 1656.5

-9E-19 is "calculator speak" for -9 \times 10^{-19}= -0.0000000000000000009 (18 "0"s and "9" after the decimal point.)

Similarly
2E-14= 2\times 10^{-14}= .00000000000002

-2 E-10= -2\times 10^{-10}= -.0000000002

1E-06= 10^{-6}= 0.000001

I just want to write that as a formula, but what's the E? I've seen it used to represent x10# before but that dosent seem to fit?

Can someone rewrite that in a format that works in excel?

eg.. = (10^-9)-(19*x^6)...
 

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