How do you subtract numbers in standard form?

To subtract numbers in standard form, ensure they have the same power of 10, then subtract the coefficients.

When dealing with numbers in standard form, they are typically written as \( a \times 10^n \), where \( a \) is a number between 1 and 10, and \( n \) is an integer. To subtract two numbers in standard form, the first step is to make sure that both numbers have the same power of 10. For example, if you have \( 3 \times 10^4 \) and \( 2 \times 10^3 \), you need to adjust one of the numbers so that both exponents match.

In this case, you can rewrite \( 2 \times 10^3 \) as \( 0.2 \times 10^4 \). Now both numbers are expressed with the same power of 10: \( 3 \times 10^4 \) and \( 0.2 \times 10^4 \). Next, you subtract the coefficients (the numbers in front of the powers of 10). So, \( 3 - 0.2 = 2.8 \). Therefore, the result of the subtraction is \( 2.8 \times 10^4 \).

If the numbers already have the same power of 10, you can directly subtract the coefficients. For instance, subtracting \( 5.6 \times 10^7 \) from \( 8.3 \times 10^7 \) involves simply calculating \( 8.3 - 5.6 = 2.7 \), resulting in \( 2.7 \times 10^7 \).

Remember, the key steps are to ensure the exponents are the same and then subtract the coefficients. This method keeps the process straightforward and manageable.