Accuplacer Practice Test

Write 0.0000000000000523 in Scientific Notation.

1. 5.23x10^-14

2. 5.23x10^-12

3. 5.23x10^-13

4. 52.3x10^-15

The correct answer is: 5.23x10^-14

To convert a number into scientific notation, the goal is to express it in the form of \( a \times 10^n \), where \( a \) is a number between 1 and 10, and \( n \) is an integer. Starting with the number 0.0000000000000523, we first need to move the decimal point to the right until we have a number between 1 and 10. In this case, moving the decimal point 14 places to the right gives us 5.23. This corresponds to moving into the positive side of the exponent, meaning the exponent will be negative when converting back since we moved to the right from its original position. This gives us \( 5.23 \times 10^{-14} \). Thus, the correct representation in scientific notation is indeed 5.23x10^-14. The choice you selected accurately reflects the rules of scientific notation, with 5.23 falling within the required range and the exponent correctly identifying how many places the decimal has been moved.