What is the correct scientific notation for the measurement 0.0000043 m?
The correct scientific notation for the measurement 0.0000043 m is 4.3 × 10^(-6) m.
Understanding Scientific Notation
Scientific notation is a way to represent very large or very small numbers in a more concise and manageable form. It is commonly used in scientific and mathematical calculations where dealing with extremely large or small numbers is required.
In scientific notation, a number is expressed as a coefficient between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10. The coefficient is a decimal number, and the power of 10 indicates how many places the decimal point must be moved to obtain the actual value of the number.
Expressing 0.0000043 m in Scientific Notation
The measurement 0.0000043 m is a very small number. In scientific notation, we need to write this number as a decimal between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10. Since 0.0000043 m is less than 1, the decimal point needs to be moved to the right to make it a number between 1 and 10.
To express 0.0000043 m in scientific notation, we can write it as 4.3 × 10^(-6) m. The negative exponent indicates that the number is very small and the decimal point needs to be moved six places to the left to get the original value.
Therefore, the correct scientific notation for 0.0000043 m is 4.3 × 10^(-6) m.
Conclusion: Scientific notation is a useful tool for representing very large or very small numbers in a concise and easy-to-understand format. In the case of the measurement 0.0000043 m, expressing it in scientific notation as 4.3 × 10^(-6) m helps make calculations and comparisons involving this measurement more manageable.
Remember, when dealing with scientific notation, the coefficient must be between 1 and 10, and the power of 10 indicates the magnitude of the number. Practice using scientific notation to become more comfortable with handling numbers of various magnitudes.