Final answer:
0.09 is smaller than 0.1 because, in powers of 10, 0.1 is 1 × 10^-1 and 0.09 is 9 × 10^-2, indicating 0.09 is a smaller number.
Step-by-step explanation:
Scott's claim that 0.09 is bigger than the number 0.1 is false. To show this, we can use scientific notation with powers of 10. The number 0.1 can be expressed as 1 × 10-1, which indicates one decimal place to the left. Meanwhile, 0.09 in scientific notation is 9 × 10-2, which shows that the decimal point has been moved two places to the left, making it a smaller number than 0.1.