Questions: What is the correct scientific notation for 200,000 ?
2 × 10^9
2 × 10^8
2 × 10^4
2 × 10^5
Transcript text: What is the correct scientific notation for 200,000 ?
$2 \times 10^{9}$
$2 \times 10^{8}$
$2 \times 10^{4}$
$2 \times 10^{5}$
Solution
Solution Steps
Step 1: Understand the number
The number given is 200,000. This is a whole number that needs to be expressed in scientific notation.
Step 2: Identify the coefficient
In scientific notation, the number is written as \( a \times 10^{n} \), where \( 1 \leq a < 10 \). For 200,000, the coefficient \( a \) is 2 because 2 is the first non-zero digit.
Step 3: Determine the exponent
Count how many places the decimal point needs to move from its original position to after the first digit. In 200,000, the decimal point is at the end of the number (200,000.), and it moves 5 places to the left to become 2.00000. Therefore, the exponent \( n \) is 5.
Step 4: Write in scientific notation
Combine the coefficient and the exponent to express the number in scientific notation: \( 2 \times 10^{5} \).