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

Question

anonymous · Answer

@Hero

hero · Answer

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

anonymous · Answer

where did you get $$10^{5}$$

hero · Answer

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

hero · Answer

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

anonymous · Answer

ok so you got $$10^{5}$$ by the zeros

hero · Answer

But $8.40000 = 8.4 \times 100000$ 

And $100000 = 10^5$

anonymous · Answer

ok

anonymous · Answer

what is scientific notation?

hero · Answer

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

anonymous · Answer

ohhhh ok that makes sense