How do you express #1,902,500,000# in scientific notation?

2 Answers
Jan 15, 2018

We need to move the decimal point 9 places to the left so the exponent for the 10s term will be positive:

#1, 902, 500, 000 = 1.9025 xx 10^9#

Jan 15, 2018

#1.902500000xx10^9#

Explanation:

Demonstrating what is happening in stages until we end up at the target format.

Note that #10^0=1# so as an example: #3xx10^0=3xx1=3#

#1,902,500,000 color(white)("d") ->color(white)("d") color(green)(1902500000color(red)())xx10^0#

#color(green)(1902500000color(red)())xx10^0#

#color(green)(190250000color(red)(.0))xx10^1#

#color(green)(19025000color(red)(.00))xx10^2#

#color(green)(1902500color(red)(.000))xx10^3#

#color(green)(190250color(red)(.0000))xx10^4#

#color(green)(19025color(red)(.00000))xx10^5#

#color(green)(1902color(red)(.500000))xx10^6#

#color(green)(190color(red)(.2500000))xx10^7#

#color(green)(19color(red)(.02500000))xx10^8#

#color(green)(1color(red)(.902500000))xx10^9color(blue)( larr" The target format")#