Final answer:
The distance from the Sun to Mercury in scientific notation is 5.8 x 10⁷ kilometers. Scientific notation is a method to express very large numbers efficiently by using a base number and an exponent, essential in fields like astronomy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The average distance from the Sun to Mercury is 58 million kilometers. Expressed in scientific notation, this distance is 5.8 x 10⁷ kilometers (km). It's important to note that due to Mercury's eccentric orbit, its distance from the Sun varies. However, to use scientific notation, we utilize the semimajor axis or the average distance from the Sun, which is a constant value. Scientific notation is very useful in astronomy and other sciences for expressing very large or very small numbers in a more manageable form, using a base number and an exponent.
In scientific notation, there's typically one non-zero digit to the left of the decimal point. For example, the distance from the Earth to the Sun can be written as 1.5 x 10¹¹ meters. This method of notation makes it easier to work with huge numbers without writing out a long string of zeros, making calculations and communication more efficient.