How do you express #0.00000054# in scientific notation?

2 Answers
MeneerNask
Apr 3, 2017

We need to write #axx10^b#, where #a# has just one non-zero digit before the decimal point.

Explanation:

To change the given number to #5.4#, we need to move the d.p. 7 places to the right. This means that the 10-power is negative and equal to -7.

#=5.4xx10^(-7)#

Alan P.
Apr 3, 2017

#5.4xx10^(-7)#

Explanation:

Scientific notation is composed of a "mantissa" and an "exponent".

The mantissa is a decimal number with one non-zero digit to the left of the decimal point (except, of course, if the number is exactly zero).

The "exponent" is #10# to some power, where the power indicates how many decimal positions the decimal point in the mantissa needs to be moved (to the right if the exponent is positive; to the left if the exponent is negative) to form the actual value of the number.

The mantissa for #0.00000054# is #5.4#
and
it is necessary to move the decimal point #7# positions to the left from #5.4# to get the actual value; there fore the "exponent" portion is #10^(-7)#

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