Final answer:
To convert 8,590,000 to scientific notation, place the decimal after the first non-zero digit to get 8.59, then count how many places the decimal moved (6 places), resulting in 8.59 × 10⁶.
Step-by-step explanation:
To write the number 8,590,000 in scientific notation, you need to express it as the product of a number between 1 and 10 and a power of 10. This involves moving the decimal point so that there is only one non-zero digit to the left of the decimal. Here are the steps to convert 8,590,000 into scientific notation:
- Identify the significant figures in the number. Here, it's 859.
- Place the decimal point after the first non-zero digit, which gives us 8.59.
- Count the number of places you moved the decimal to reach its new position. In this case, the decimal moved 6 places to the left.
- Write the number as a multiplication of 8.59 by 10 raised to the power of the number of places moved, which is 6.
Therefore, 8,590,000 in scientific notation is written as 8.59 × 10⁶.
Note: Scientific notation is useful in both mathematics and science, especially when dealing with very large or very small numbers, as it simplifies calculation and expression of those numbers.