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 :

Certainly! Let's break down how to convert the number [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex] into scientific notation step-by-step.

1. Understand what scientific notation is:
Scientific notation is a way of expressing numbers that are too large or too small to be conveniently written in decimal form. It is written as a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10.

2. Identify the significant figures:
For [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex], the significant figures are "1.55". This is the part of the number that will be expressed in decimal form.

3. Determine the power of 10:
- Start with the original number: [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex].
- Place the decimal point after the first non-zero digit to create the number between 1 and 10: [tex]$1.55$[/tex].
- Count how many places you moved the decimal point to change [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex] to [tex]$1.55$[/tex]. In this case, you move it 9 places to the left.

4. Express in scientific notation:
Therefore, [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex] in scientific notation is written as:
[tex]\[
1.55 \times 10^9
\][/tex]

So the correct option from the given choices is [tex]$1.55 \times 10^9$[/tex].