Final answer:
17.4 x 10⁻⁵ is not in proper scientific notation; the correct format would be 1.74 x 10⁻⁴.
Therefore, the correct answer is: option b) false
Step-by-step explanation:
The answer is false. Scientific notation requires that the number before the multiplication sign be greater than or equal to 1 and less than 10.
Therefore, the number 17.4 needs to be adjusted to fit this format.
To correct this, divide 17.4 by 10 to get 1.74, and compensate for this division by increasing the exponent on 10 by 1, making it 10⁻⁴.
The correct scientific notation for 17.4 x 10⁻⁵ would be 1.74 x 10⁻⁴