Final answer:
The shortest wavelength of visible light expressed in scientific notation is 4.1 × 10-7 meters, which falls within the typical range of visible light wavelengths from 400 to 700 nanometers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The length of the shortest wavelength of visible light is about 0.00000041 meters. To express this in scientific notation, we move the decimal point until we have a number between 1 and 10, and then we count the number of places we moved the decimal point to determine the exponent. In this case, we move the decimal point 7 places to the right, so the scientific notation form of 0.00000041 meters is 4.1 × 10-7 meters.
Visible light falls within the range of about 400 to 700 nanometers (nm), which can also be written as 4 x 10-7 to 7 x 10-7 meters in scientific notation since 1 nanometer equals 10-9 meters. Thus, the shortest wavelength of visible light given as 0.00000041 meters, or 410 nanometers, is within the typical range of visible light wavelengths.