1. a theater group bought supplies to construct the set of a play. lumber cost $145.86, paint cost $52.91, and hardware cost $17.63.
(a) what was the total amount the theater group paid for the supplies? show your work.
(b) what percent of the total cost was the cost of the hardware? write your answer as a decimal rounded to the nearest thousandth. show your work.
(c) what percent of the total cost was the cost of the paint and the hardware? write your answer as a decimal rounded to the nearest thousandth. show your work.

the largest number of the four options is 1.8 x 10-2

you have it in scientific notation.

1.80 x 10-6   = 0.00000180

1.80 x 10-4   = 0.000180 (bigger, or "less small", than the former one)

so

1.8 x 10-2       = 0.0180. as you see. the "less small", or the biggest one of them all.

as you have negative exponent, it means you are dividing 1.8 by 100 (i.e. moving the dot towards left, two times).

if you had positive exponent for the scientific notation, power of tenths, you would be multiplying times 100 (moving the dot towards right) as below:

1.8 x (10)2 = 180

so. if you have negative exponent in scientific notation, move the dot toward left. if it is positive, toward right as many times the exponent tells you.