To express the number 15,000 in scientific notation, we follow these steps:
1. Identify the Significant Figures: We identify the non-zero digits of the number. For 15,000, these are 1 and 5.
2. Place the Decimal Point: We place the decimal point after the first non-zero digit. This gives us 1.5.
3. Count the Places: We count how many places we need to move the decimal point to return to the original number. Starting at 1.5, we need to move the decimal point 4 places to the right to get 15,000. This count becomes the exponent of 10 in the scientific notation.
4. Construct the Scientific Notation: Combine the significand (1.5) and the exponent (4) with the base (10). Thus, 15,000 is written as [tex]\(1.5 \times 10^4\)[/tex].
Given the options:
A. [tex]\(1.5 \times 10^4\)[/tex]
B. [tex]\(1.5 \times 10^6\)[/tex]
C. [tex]\(1.5 \times 10^3\)[/tex]
D. [tex]\(1.0 \times 10^3\)[/tex]
The correct scientific notation for 15,000 is [tex]\(1.5 \times 10^4\)[/tex], so the correct choice is:
A. [tex]\(1.5 \times 10^4\)[/tex]
