Question

SCIENTIFIC NOTATION Rewrite in scientific notation. $$ 0.008551 $$

Short answer

0.008551 in scientific notation is \(8.551 \times 10^{-3}\).

Step-by-step solution

Identify the Decimal Point Movement

For the given number 0.008551, make sure the base is between 1 and 10. The first number in the decimal that isn't zero is 8 which is the first digit of the new number. Therefore, the base of the number in scientific notation is 8.551. To determine the exponent, count how many places the decimal point was moved. Here, it was moved three places to the right.

Write the Result in Scientific Notation

Now, write the number using the base and the exponent of ten. The base is 8.551 and because the number was moved three places to the right, the exponent will be -3. Thus, 0.008551 in scientific notation is \(8.551 \times 10^{-3}\).