Question
The speed of light is approximately 299,000,000 meters per second. What is the speed of the light, in meters per second, using scientific notation? \( 29.9 \times 10^{7} \) meters per second \( 0.299 \times 10^{9} \) meters per second \( 2.99 \times 10^{8} \) meters per second \( 299 \times 10^{6} \) meters per second
Ask by Salazar Fleming. in the United States
Jan 26,2025
Real Tutor Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
The speed of light is \( 2.99 \times 10^{8} \) meters per second.
Solution
The speed of light is **299,000,000 meters per second**. To express this in scientific notation:
\[ 299,000,000 \, \text{meters per second} = 2.99 \times 10^{8} \, \text{meters per second} \]
Among the options provided, the correct scientific notation is:
**\( 2.99 \times 10^{8} \) meters per second**
Reviewed and approved by the UpStudy tutoring team
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Simplify this solution Beyond the Answer
The speed of light can be elegantly expressed in scientific notation as \( 2.99 \times 10^{8} \) meters per second. This format makes it super easy to handle calculations or comparisons involving such a large number, and scientists around the globe appreciate the efficiency. When working with scientific notation, remember that you want only one non-zero digit to the left of the decimal point. This means that while \( 29.9 \times 10^{7} \) and \( 299 \times 10^{6} \) might look appealing, they aren’t in the proper form and wouldn't be considered the best representation. It's all about that optimal one-digit format, my friend!
