To express the number \(0.073\) in scientific notation, we need to rewrite it in the form of \(a \times 10^b\), where \(a\) is a number greater than or equal to \(1\) but less than \(10\) (specifically, \(1 \leq a < 10\)), and \(b\) is an integer.
Here are the steps to achieve this:
1. Identify the significant figure:
- In \(0.073\), the significant figures are \(7.3\).
2. Determine the power of ten:
- To place the decimal point after the \(7\) and before the \(3\), we move the decimal point two places to the right.
- However, since we started with \(0.073\), which is a number less than \(1\), moving the decimal point to the right will introduce a negative exponent for the power of ten.
3. Form the scientific notation:
- Moving the decimal place two positions to the right transforms \(0.073\) into \(7.3\).
- We then multiply by \(10^{-2}\) to account for the two-place shift to the right, resulting in \(7.3 \times 10^{-2}\).
Therefore, the correct scientific notation for \(0.073\) is \(7.3 \times 10^{-2}\).
So, the correct choice is:
C. [tex]\(7.3 \times 10^{-2}\)[/tex]
