To divide \( (1.5 \times 10^7) \) by \( (3 \times 10^3) \), you can follow these steps:
- Divide the coefficients: \( \frac{1.5}{3} = 0.5 \)
- Subtract the exponents (using the rule \( a^m / a^n = a^{m-n} \)): \[ 10^7 / 10^3 = 10^{7-3} = 10^4 \]
Now combine the results: \[ (1.5 \times 10^7) / (3 \times 10^3) = 0.5 \times 10^4 \]
In scientific notation, \( 0.5 \) can be written as \( 5 \times 10^{-1} \). Therefore: \[ 0.5 \times 10^4 = 5 \times 10^{-1} \times 10^4 = 5 \times 10^{4-1} = 5 \times 10^3 \]
So the final result in scientific notation is: \[ \boxed{5 \times 10^3} \]