What does (480 x 10^-5) / (60 x 10^-3) equal?

To solve the expression (480 x 10^-5) / (60 x 10^-3), start by rearranging the terms to simplify the division.

First, you can separate the numerical coefficients from the powers of ten:

(480 / 60) x (10^-5 / 10^-3).

Now, calculate the numerical coefficients. Dividing 480 by 60 equals 8.

Next, simplify the powers of ten. When dividing exponents with the same base, you subtract the exponent in the denominator from the exponent in the numerator. So, 10^-5 divided by 10^-3 becomes 10^(-5 - (-3)), which simplifies to 10^(-5 + 3) or 10^-2.

Combining these results gives you:

8 x 10^-2.

Since the expression simplifies to 8 x 10^-2, this confirms that the correct answer is indeed the third option. This method demonstrates how to handle scientific notation in division and reinforces the rules regarding exponents.