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Ch.1 - Matter, Measurement & Problem Solving
Chapter 1, Problem 58b

Use prefix multipliers to express each measurement without exponents. b. 45.9 * 10 - 7 s

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Identify the given measurement: 45.9 \times 10^{-7} \text{s}.
Recognize that the goal is to express this measurement without using exponents by applying an appropriate prefix multiplier.
Recall that the prefix 'nano' (n) represents \(10^{-9}\), and 'micro' (\(\mu\)) represents \(10^{-6}\).
Determine which prefix multiplier is closest to \(10^{-7}\). Since \(10^{-7}\) is between \(10^{-6}\) and \(10^{-9}\), the 'micro' (\(\mu\)) prefix is the closest.
Convert the measurement by expressing 45.9 \times 10^{-7} \text{s} as 4.59 \times 10^{-6} \text{s}, which can be written as 4.59 \mu\text{s}.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Scientific Notation

Scientific notation is a way of expressing numbers that are too large or too small to be conveniently written in decimal form. It is typically formatted as a product of a number between 1 and 10 and a power of ten. For example, 45.9 * 10^-7 can be rewritten as 0.00000459, which is more manageable for calculations.
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Standard Notation to Scientific Notation

Prefix Multipliers

Prefix multipliers are standard prefixes used in the metric system to denote specific powers of ten. Common prefixes include 'nano-' (10^-9), 'micro-' (10^-6), and 'milli-' (10^-3). These prefixes simplify the expression of measurements by allowing scientists to communicate large or small quantities without using exponents.
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Metric Prefixes Chart

Unit Conversion

Unit conversion involves changing a measurement from one unit to another while maintaining the same quantity. In the context of the question, converting 45.9 * 10^-7 seconds into a more understandable format using prefix multipliers requires recognizing the appropriate prefix that corresponds to the exponent, which in this case is 'nano-' for seconds.
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