To understand the expression [tex]\(1.6 \times 10^{-19} C\)[/tex], let's break it down step-by-step.
1. Notation and Base Value:
- The number [tex]\(1.6\)[/tex] is the base value.
- The notation [tex]\( \times 10^{-19}\)[/tex] indicates that we are multiplying [tex]\(1.6\)[/tex] by [tex]\(10\)[/tex] raised to the power of [tex]\(-19\)[/tex].
2. What does [tex]\(10^{-19}\)[/tex] mean?
- The exponent [tex]\(-19\)[/tex] tells us that we are dealing with a very small number, a fraction.
- Specifically, [tex]\(10^{-19} = \frac{1}{10^{19}}\)[/tex].
3. Multiplying with the Exponential Term:
- We take the base value [tex]\(1.6\)[/tex] and multiply it by this very small fraction.
- Essentially, it compresses the number to a tiny value, making it extremely small.
So, when we multiply:
[tex]\[ 1.6 \times 10^{-19} \][/tex]
4. Interpreting the Result:
- This results in [tex]\(1.6\)[/tex] multiplied by a decimal point followed by 18 zeros before the 16.
- This represents [tex]\(1.6C\)[/tex] in the scale of [tex]\(10^{-19}\)[/tex], appropriate for measuring charge on a very small scale, such as the charge of an electron.
Thus, the exact value of [tex]\(1.6 \times 10^{-19} C\)[/tex] computed detailedly results in:
[tex]\[ 1.6 \times 10^{-19} = 1.6000000000000002 \times 10^{-19} \][/tex]
This extremely small value is precision critical and conforms to scientific and academic expectations for charge calculations, particularly in physics and chemistry for elementary particles.
