The area of Russia is approximately 17.1 million square miles. Which of the following correctly represents this number in scientific notation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In scientific notation, the number is expressed as a decimal number between 1 and 10, multiplied by a power of 10. To convert 17.1 million to scientific notation, we move the decimal point to the left until only one digit remains before the decimal point. This gives us 1.71. The decimal point started after the ones place, so we need to move it 17 places to the right to arrive at 17.1 million. Therefore, the power of 10 is 17, giving us 1.71 x 10^17. So the answer is C.

The Area of Russia Is Approximately 17