To express the mass of the atom in scientific notation, we need to follow these steps:
1. Identify the Given Mass:
- The given mass of the atom is 0.000000000012 grams.
2. Convert the Mass to Scientific Notation:
- Scientific notation expresses a number in the form [tex]\( a \times 10^n \)[/tex], where [tex]\( 1 \leq a < 10 \)[/tex] and [tex]\( n \)[/tex] is an integer.
- Start by identifying the significant digits in the number. For the number 0.000000000012, the significant digits are 1.2.
3. Determine the Exponent:
- Count the number of decimal places you move the decimal point to the right to get the number between 1 and 10.
- For 0.000000000012, the decimal point is moved 11 places to the right to get 1.2.
- Therefore, the exponent will be -11.
4. Write the Scientific Notation:
- The mass of the atom in scientific notation is [tex]\( 1.2 \times 10^{-11} \)[/tex] grams.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
B. [tex]\( 1.2 \times 10^{-11} \)[/tex] grams
