Question

Write each number in scientific notation ? 20000

Answer 1

Answer: 2 x $10^{4}$

Explanation: To write 20,000 in scientific notation, first write a decimal point in the number so that there is only 1 digit to the left of the decimal point.

So here we have 2.0000 and notice that there is 1 digit to the left of the decimal point. Next, count the number of places that we would need to move the decimal point in 2.0000 to get back to the original number.

Since we would need to move the decimal point 4 places to the right to get back to the original number, we would need to multiply 2.0000 by $10^{4}$ power.

Notice that our exponent is positive because we would need to move the decimal point to the right and since 2.0000 is equal to 2, our final answer

is 2 x $10^{4}$.

It's important to understand that we will always have a power of 10 when writing in scientific notation. The exponent can change depending on how many digits you have, but you will always have 10 to some power.