College

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 :

To write [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex] in scientific notation, follow these steps:

1. Understand Scientific Notation: Scientific notation is a way to express very large or very small numbers conveniently. It has the form: [tex]\(a \times 10^n\)[/tex], where [tex]\(1 \leq a < 10\)[/tex], and [tex]\(n\)[/tex] is an integer.

2. Identify the Coefficient: Move the decimal point of the number to the left until you have a number between 1 and 10. For [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex], we need to move the decimal point 9 places to the left, which gives us 1.55.

3. Determine the Exponent: Count the number of places you moved the decimal to convert the original number into a coefficient between 1 and 10. Since we moved the decimal 9 places to the left, the exponent [tex]\(n\)[/tex] is 9.

4. Write in Scientific Notation: Combine the coefficient and the exponent of 10. Therefore, [tex]$1,550,000,000$[/tex] in scientific notation is written as [tex]\(1.55 \times 10^9\)[/tex].

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