If you see in SPSS the number 8.51 E-02 reported, what is the actual value of this number? A) 8.51 x 10² B) 85.1 x 10² C) 8.51 x 10^-2 D) 85.1 x 10^-2

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The notation 8.51 E-02 is in scientific notation. The letter "E" stands for exponent, which means we should move the decimal point to the left a certain number of times, depending on the value of the exponent. 
In this case, the exponent is -02, which means we should move the decimal point two places to the left to get the actual value. 
Thus, 8.51 E-02 is equivalent to 0.0851.

Option A is incorrect because it has extra 1's and 0's that have no relevance to the actual value. 
Option B is incorrect because it does not account for the negative exponent. 
Option D is incorrect because it multiplies the value by a factor of 10 that is too large (10^1 instead of 10^-2).

If You See in SPSS the Number 8