High School

What is the correct way to write [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex] in scientific notation?

A. [tex]$1.55 \times 10^9$[/tex]
B. [tex]$1.55 \times 10^{10}$[/tex]
C. [tex]$15.5 \times 10^8$[/tex]
D. [tex]$15.5 \times 10^9$[/tex]

Answer :

Sure! Let's go through the steps to express [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex] in scientific notation.

1. Understand the Number: We have the number [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex]. In scientific notation, we aim to express it as a product of a number (between 1 and 10) and a power of 10.

2. Identify the Decimal Placement: To convert to scientific notation, we need to place the decimal point such that only one non-zero digit remains to the left of the decimal. For [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex], this means moving the decimal point to the right of the first '1' to form 1.55.

3. Count the Decimal Places Moved: Starting from the end of the number (after all zeroes) and moving to the position right after the first digit '1', we find the decimal place moves 9 places to the left.

4. Write in Scientific Notation: We combine the number we formed, 1.55, with a power of 10. The power of 10 reflects how many places we moved the decimal. Since the decimal moved 9 places to the left, the power is 9.

5. Final Answer: Therefore, the correct way to write [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex] in scientific notation is [tex]\(1.55 \times 10^9\)[/tex].

So, the answer is [tex]\(1.55 \times 10^9\)[/tex].