Final answer:
The first 6 in 6,861 represents 6,000, being in the thousands place, while the second 6 represents 60, being in the tens place. In scientific notation, understanding the place value of digits is key to determining significant figures and simplifying numbers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question on writing the value of the 6s in 6,861 aims to determine the place value of each digit in the number. In this four-digit number, the first 6 is in the thousands place, giving it a value of 6,000, and the second 6 is in the tens place, giving it a value of 60.
When writing numbers larger than what can be easily represented, such as in scientific notation or standard notation, it's important to recognize the significance of each digit's position.
For example, when we convert to scientific notation, 6,000 would be written as 6.00 x 10³, where 6.00 (with two decimal places) stands for three significant figures referring back to the original number (6,000) with three non-zero digits. It is an efficient way to simplify large numbers or very small numbers for ease of understanding and comparison.