Question

which answer shows 0.05 written in scientific notation?

\\(0.5 \times 10^{-1}\\)
\\(5 \times 10^{-2}\\)
\\(5 \times 10^{-1}\\)
\\(5 \times 10^{2}\\)

Explanation:

Identify the standard form of scientific notation

$$ a \times 10^n, \quad \text{where } 1 \le |a| < 10 \text{ and } n \text{ is an integer} $$

Convert the decimal to scientific notation

$$ 0.05 = 5 \times 10^{-2} $$

Match with the given options

$$ 5 \times 10^{-2} $$

Answer:

• (A) \(0.5 \times 10^{-1}\)
• (B) \(5 \times 10^{-2}\) (Correct answer)
• (C) \(5 \times 10^{-1}\)
• (D) \(5 \times 10^{2}\)