1. Stating the problem: Convert 4,800 into scientific notation in the form $a \times 10^b$ where $1 \leq a < 10$ and $b$ is an integer. 2. Scientific notation rule: Move the decimal point in the number so that only one non-zero digit remains to the left of the decimal point. The number of places moved becomes the exponent $b$ of 10. 3. Convert 4,800: $$4,800 = 4.8 \times 1,000$$ Since $1,000 = 10^3$, we have: $$4,800 = 4.8 \times 10^3$$ 4. Final answer: $$4.8 \times 10^3$$ This means $a = 4.8$ and $b = 3$.