Express the number 178481 in scientific notation. A) 1.78481 *10^-⁵ B) 1.78481*10⁵ C) 1.78 *10⁵ D) 178.481 * 10³ E) 1.8 * 10^-⁵

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scientific notation of a number is expressed in the form of a decimal number between 1 and 10 (including 1, excluding 10) multiplied by a power of 10. In this case, the given number is 178481. To express it in scientific notation, we need to move the decimal point to the left until there is only one digit to the left of the decimal. We get 1.78481. The decimal point has been moved 5 places to the left. The power of 10 that we need to multiply with this decimal number is 10^5. Therefore, the scientific notation of 178481 is 1.78481 x 10^5. Among the given choices, only option B represents 1.78481 x 10^5.

Express the Number 178481 in Scientific Notation