Answer
Conversion of 5.38 × 10⁻³ to Standard Form
Scientific notation is a way of expressing very large or very small numbers in a compact format. The number 5.38 × 10−3 is written in scientific notation. To convert this into standard (decimal) form, we follow a few simple steps.
🧮 Step-by-Step Explanation
The exponent −3 tells us to move the decimal point 3 places to the left. This is because we are multiplying by a negative power of ten, which makes the number smaller.
Start with the number 5.38. Moving the decimal three places to the left:
5.38 → 0.538 → 0.0538 → 0.00538
✅ Final Result
The standard (decimal) form of 5.38 × 10−3 is:
0.00538
🔍 Why This Is Useful
Converting scientific notation to standard form is important in real-life applications like chemistry, physics, and engineering, where quantities can span very small or very large values. It helps make numbers easier to read and compare.