The distance from earth’s center to a satellite is 3 2 , 8 6 2 , 5 3 9 meters. Express this number in scientific notation.
Answer
Converting Distance from Earth’s Center to a Satellite into Scientific Notation
The given distance from Earth’s center to a satellite is 32,862,539 meters. To express this in scientific notation, follow the process below:
Step 1: Start with the original number.
32,862,539 meters
32,862,539 meters
Step 2: Place the decimal point after the first non-zero digit.
32,862,539 → 3.2862539
32,862,539 → 3.2862539
Step 3: Count how many places the decimal moved to achieve scientific notation format.
The decimal moved 7 places to the left.
So, we multiply by 107
The decimal moved 7 places to the left.
So, we multiply by 107
✅ Final Answer: 3.2862539 × 107 meters
This scientific notation is especially useful in astronomy and physics, where extremely large (or small) values are more conveniently handled in compact, exponential form.