To convert the number 0.008 into scientific notation, we need to express it as a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10.
First, we identify the significant figures in the number 0.008. This is 8, and we need to place the decimal point after the first non-zero digit. So, 8 becomes 0.008, and we recognize that we need to move the decimal point three places to the right to convert it to 8.
Moving the decimal to the right means we have a negative exponent, as we are moving from a small number (0.008) to a larger number (8). Therefore, we can express this as:
0.008 = 8.0 × 10-3
Thus, the scientific notation of 0.008 is 8.0 × 10-3.