When 0.00503 is written in scientific notation, what is the power of 10?

• A. -4
• B. -2
• C. 4
• D. -3

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the original number: 0.00503.
2. Recall that scientific notation expresses a number as \(a \times 10^{n}\), where \$1 \leq a < 10\( and \)n$ is an integer.
3. To convert 0.00503 to scientific notation, move the decimal point to the right until you have a number between 1 and 10. Count how many places you move the decimal.
4. Since you move the decimal 3 places to the right, the exponent \(n\) will be negative because the original number is less than 1.
5. Therefore, the power of 10 in the scientific notation of 0.00503 is \(-3\).