High Powers!!

[Gareth56]

In a chemistry book I saw the following calculation with regard to entropy:-

 

S = 1.38 x 10^-23J/K x ln2^10^22 (or if it helps 2superscript10superscript22 or 2 raised to 10 to the power of 22)

 

The answer is apparently 0.096 J/K

 

So how would you calculate ln2^10^22 using a calculator?

 

Thanks

G56

[CaptainPanic]

It is a mistake in the book.

 

(1.38*10^-23 J/K) * (ln(2) * 10^22) = 0.096 J/K.

[John Cuthber]

It's probably a cockup, but there are times when, in calculating entropy or statistics and such when you really need to calculate some odd looking numbers.

Stirling's aproximation gets used quite a bit in statistical mechanics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling's_approximation

which lets you calculate the log of factorials that won't fit in the calculator.