Final answer:
In scientific notation, the rational number 36 is written as 3.6 x 10^1.
Step-by-step explanation:
In scientific notation, a rational number is written in the form a x 10^b, where a is the coefficient and b is the exponent. To write a rational number as 36 in scientific notation, we need to determine the coefficient and exponent.
Since 36 is an integer, we can write it as 36.0 to have only one number to the left of the decimal point, which is the requirement for scientific notation. Then, the coefficient a is 36.0 and the exponent b is 0. Therefore, the scientific notation for 36 is 3.6 x 10^1.