Final answer:
The number -0.02 is a rational number because it can be expressed as a ratio of integers. It is neither a natural number, whole number, nor an integer. When expressing numbers in scientific notation or considering significant figures, specific rules apply to maintain accuracy and precision.
Step-by-step explanation:
The number -0.02 belongs to the set of rational numbers. It is not a natural number, as natural numbers are the set of positive integers starting from 1. It is also not a whole number, because whole numbers are the set of natural numbers including zero (0, 1, 2, 3, ...). Integers include whole numbers and their negative counterparts (..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...), but they do not include fractions or decimals. A number is rational if it can be expressed as a fraction or ratio of two integers, which -0.02 can be (as -2/100 or -1/50), so it is indeed a rational number.
Expressing numbers in scientific notation generally involves writing a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by 10 raised to an exponent. For example:
0.00656 would become 6.56 x 10-3.
- 65,600 would become 6.56 x 104.
The principle involved is adjusting the decimal point to create a new number that is easier to read and compare, especially when dealing with very large or very small values.
When considering significant figures, the number of significant figures in a measurement includes all known digits plus one uncertain digit. For example, in a measurement like 30.42, there are four significant figures.