Question

a water desalination plant can produce $2 \times 10^6$ gallons of water in one day. how many gallons can it produce in 15 days? write your answer in scientific notation. \boxed{} gallons

Explanation:

Step1: Identify daily & total days

Daily production: $2 \times 10^6$ gallons; Days: 77

Step2: Calculate total production

Multiply daily output by days:
$$(2 \times 10^6) \times 77$$

Step3: Simplify the product

First compute $2 \times 77 = 154$, so:
$$154 \times 10^6$$

Step4: Convert to scientific notation

Rewrite 154 as $1.54 \times 10^2$, then combine exponents:
$$1.54 \times 10^2 \times 10^6 = 1.54 \times 10^{8}$$

Answer:

$1.54 \times 10^{8}$ gallons