# How do you write 0.0006730 in scientific notation?

Apr 1, 2015

The answer is $6.730 \times {10}^{- 4}$.

A number written in scientific notation includes a coefficient times a power of base 10. For example $2.3 \times {10}^{4}$.

The coefficient must have a non-zero, single digit integer (1 - 9 inclusive) in front of the decimal. If the number does not satisfy this rule, you must move the decimal until it does. So the coefficient of 0.0006730 will become 6.730 by moving the decimal to the right 4 places.

Now we determine the exponent (power) for the base 10. The number of decimal places that the decimal was moved determines the exponent number, in this case 4. The direction the decimal was moved determines its sign. If the decimal is moved to the right, the exponent is negative. If it is moved to the left, the exponent is positive. Since the decimal in this question was moved to the right 4 places, the base 10 with the exponent will be ${10}^{- 4}$.

So, putting the coefficient and base ten together, we get $6.730 \times {10}^{- 4}$.

Note: The final zero is significant, so it stays in the answer.
http://www.chemteam.info/SigFigs/SigFigRules.html