Roughly, it takes light less than 0.000000003 of a second to travel a one-meter distance. Express this number as

Question

a × 10^n where 1 < a < 10 and is a one-digit number.(1 point)
Responses

3 × 10^−8
3 times 10 superscript negative 8 baseline

3 × 10^−9
3 times 10 superscript negative 9 baseline

3 × 10^8
3 times 10 superscript 8 baseline

3 × 10^9

Answer 1

To express the number 0.000000003 in the form \( a \times 10^n \) where \( 1 < a < 10 \), we first rewrite the number in scientific notation.

The number 0.000000003 can be expressed as:

\[ 3.0 \times 10^{-9} \]

Here, \( a = 3.0 \) and \( n = -9 \), satisfying the condition \( 1 < a < 10 \).

Thus, the correct response is:

3 × 10^−9