Question

How do you write 0.000123 in scientific notation?

Answer 1

`1.23 xx 10^-4`

Explanation:

In scientific notation there must be only one digit before the decimal point. The power of 10 indicates how many times to multiply or divide by 10.

`0. color(red)(0001)23 = 1.23 xx 10^color(red)(-4)`

We could also write the number as a fraction based on the decimal.

`0.000123 = 123/1000000 = 123/10^6 = 123 xx 10^-6`

`123 xx 10^-6" " larr " change to scientific notation"`

=`1.23 xx 10^-4`