Final answer:
The number 81,000,000 in scientific notation is 8.1 × 10^7. The exponent on 10 is +7, not negative, indicating that the decimal was moved 7 places to the left to form a number greater than 1.
Step-by-step explanation:
To convert the number 81,000,000 to scientific notation, we move the decimal point so that only one non-zero digit is to the left of the decimal. In this case, we move the decimal point 7 places to the left, which gives us 8.1. Because we moved the decimal 7 places, we then multiply by 10 to the power of 7 to find the equivalent value. Therefore, 81,000,000 in scientific notation is 8.1 × 107.
Given the options, the correct answer is not listed since the question asked for the exponent when the number is converted to scientific notation, and the correct exponent is +7, not negative. Remember that a positive exponent indicates how many times we multiply 10 to get a larger number, while a negative exponent would indicate a division for a smaller number.