How do you convert -53,000 into scientific notation?

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Answer 1 · 2015-07-12T01:58:41

#-53000=-5.3xx10^4# in scientific notation.

Move the decimal to the left 4 places so that the coefficient will be #-5.3#. Then multiply times #10# raised to the power of #4#.

Whenever you move the decimal to the left, the exponent on the 10 will be positive, and its size will be the number of places you moved the decimal.

Whenever you move the decimal to the right, the exponent on the 10 will be negative, and its size will be the number of places you moved the decimal.

Answer 2 · 2015-07-13T01:42:14

We need one non-zero digit in front of the decimal point.

That means we have to move the dp four to the left:
#-53000.=-5.3*10000=-5.3*10^4#