# How do you write 87000 in scientific notation?

Mar 25, 2018

$8.7 \cdot {10}^{4}$

#### Explanation:

When using scientific notation we want to keep the all the non-zero numbers that come before the string of zeroes, which are 8 and 7.

The decimal goes between the 8 and 7:
8.7

To get back to the original number we have to multiply 8.7 by 1000
or in other terms:

$8.7 \cdot {10}^{4}$

Mar 25, 2018

$8.7 \cdot {10}^{4}$

#### Explanation:

We have the number, $87000$.

In scientific notation, we would write the number with its first digit followed by a decimal point, and then the second digit of the number, and then multiplied by $10$ to a power that places the decimal point where it belongs in the number.

And so, to write the number $87000$ in scientific notation, we first take the first digit of the number $8$ and put a decimal point after it.

The number is $8.$ right now.

Now, we place the second digit in the number $87000$, that is $7$, and we get,

$8.7$

Final step is to multiply the number by $10$ to a power that puts the decimal place where it makes the desired number.

We got:

$8.7 \cdot {10}^{1} = 87$

$8.7 \cdot {10}^{2} = 870$

$8.7 \cdot {10}^{3} = 8700$

$8.7 \cdot {10}^{4} = 87000$

And so, the scientific notation of this number would be $8.7 \cdot {10}^{4}$.