convert to scientific notation

[Brian Yennie]

Randall,

I think you are confusing two different concepts.

10^2 = 100, not 2^10 = 100.

What you want is something like this:

Step 1) 10^x = 100
Step 2) log 10^x = log 100
Step 3) x log 10 = log 100
Step 4) x = log 100 / log 10

In short, you need to use logarithms and you'll get a formula where x  
= log y / log z.

If you were trying to solve x^10 = 100, then you could do what you  
suggest and just raise both side to the (1/10)th power. But that  
number will not be 2 -- it's about 1.58.


> I can't remember how to use power function "^" to find the nth root  
> of a number.  To find the 2ndth root of a number we can use the  
> "sqrt()" function.  But to find the nth root????
>
> For instance, lets say I want to convert a number to scientific  
> notation (the 10th root of that number)... I used to know how to use  
> the power function to do this.  Anyone remember how to do it?
>
> I tried to get the 10th root (scientific notation) of 100  (which  
> should = 2) by:     100^(1/10) ... but that isn't it.
>
> Any ideas?  I feel brain dead.
>
> Randall