1. Identify the decimal point: Even though it's not written, the decimal point is at the end of the number: 5,800,000,000.
2. Move the decimal point: Move the decimal point to the left until you have a number between 1 and 10. In this case, we move it 9 places to the left: 5.8
3. Count the moves: We moved the decimal point 9 places to the left.
4. Express the result: The result in scientific notation is 5.8 x 10⁹ cm.
Therefore, 5,800,000,000 cm is equal to 5.8 x 10⁹ cm in scientific notation.
