Question

The area of Greenland is 840,000 square miles. What is this number in scientific notation? I have no idea what scientific notation is!!

Answer 1

@Hero

Answer 2

You convert it to \(8.4 \times 10^{5}\)

Answer 3

where did you get \[10^{5}\]

Answer 4

Every number is associated with a decimal point. We don't write decimal points with every number because it is convenient not to. 840,000 can easily be re-written as 840000.0

Answer 5

If you move the decimal point 5 places to the left, you'll have 8.40000

Answer 6

ok so you got \[10^{5}\] by the zeros

Answer 7

But \(8.40000 = 8.4 \times 100000\)

And \(100000 = 10^5\)

Answer 8

ok

Answer 9

what is scientific notation?

Answer 10

\(8.4 \times 10^5\) is scientific notation. In other words a decimal number multplied by base 10 times an exponent.

Answer 11

ohhhh ok that makes sense