Question

Convert 800,000 in scientific notation:

a) 8 x 10^5
b) 80 x 10^4
c) 800 x 10^3
d) 8 x 10^6

Answer 1

To convert 800,000 into scientific notation, move the decimal point to the left five places to get 8.0 x 10^5.

Step-by-step explanation:

To convert 800,000 into scientific notation, we need to express it as a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10.

When we move the decimal point in 800,000 to the left five places, we get 8.0. So the correct answer is a) 8 x 10^5.

Answer 2

Answer: 8 x 10^5 which is choice A

Explanation

Place the decimal point between the first two digits. Then ignore the rest of the digits.

We go from 800,000 to 8.0

The question is now: how do we go from 8.0 back to 800,000?

We'll need to move the decimal point 5 spots to the right.

That explains why the exponent over the 10 is 5.

Therefore 800,000 = 8.0 x 10^5

Since 8.0 is the same as 8 (assuming we aren't worried about sig figs of course), this means 8.0 x 10^5 is the same as 8 x 10^5

Notice 10^5 = 100,000 = hundred thousand

So 8 x 10^5 means "8 times hundred thousand" aka "8 hundred thousand" aka "800 thousand".