Answer :

Final answer:

The number 172 can be expressed in scientific notation as 1.72 x 10^2. This format consists of a decimal number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten. To convert, move the decimal point appropriately and count the shifts.


Explanation:

Converting to Scientific Notation

To express the number 172 in scientific notation, we need to represent it as a product of a number between 1 and 10 and a power of 10.

Here are the steps to convert the number:

  1. Identify the decimal place in the number. For 172, the decimal is at the end (172.0).
  2. Move the decimal point to the left until only one non-zero digit remains to the left. For 172, we move it two places to the left, giving us 1.72.
  3. Count the number of places the decimal was moved. In this case, it is 2 places.
  4. Since we moved it to the left, the exponent for the power of 10 will be positive. Thus, we write it as 10^2.

Putting it all together, 172 in scientific notation is written as: 1.72 x 10^2.


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