I have some data which I plotted using google sheets. I came up with a curve of best fit which was a degree 4 polynomial. The equation I got was:
9E+08 + 1.86E+06x + – 1397x^2 + 0.467x^3 – 5.85E-05x^4
I assumed that E used in this context meant 910^8 or 1.8610^6 -5.85*10^-5 but when I graph that curve in desmos it looks nothing like the curve of best fit Google Sheets came up with. I think I'm interpreting the E incorrectly. Can someone please tell me how I should be interpreting that E notation? Or more precisely, can someone please tell me what this curve should be using scientific notation rather than E?
A screenshot of the actual graph is below:
Data Table:
Years Conservatives PV
2019, 34.3
2015, 31.9
2011, 39.6
2008, 37.6
2006, 36.3
2004, 29.6
2000, 12.2
1997, 18.8
1993, 16
1988, 43
1984, 50
1980, 32.5
1979, 35.9
1974, 35.4
1972, 35
1968, 31.4
1965, 32.1
The Desmos graph here looks entirely different and is very tall. Why is that?
The equation I'm graphing is: $$-9.27\cdot10^{8}+1.86\cdot10^{6}x-1397x^{2}+0.467x^{3}-5.85\cdot10^{-5}x^{4}$$
Best Answer
Yes, the $E$ means multiply by $10$ to the power. You have omitted a minus sign on the constant term. This polynomial is computed by multiplying very small numbers and very big numbers and adding them up, so it is very sensitive to the coefficients. Try getting more precise coefficients (more digits) before plotting in desmos. What you have so far is $$-9.27\cdot10^{8}+1.86\cdot10^{6}x-1397x^{2}+0.467x^{3}-5.85\cdot10^{-5}x^{4}$$