Convert the following to scientific notation 24,212,000

2.4212 X 10^ 7
How I at least figure this problem out is I take a pencil and start on the right side of the 0 and make a loop to the left for each number and count until I get to the first two numbers that are between 1-9 when reading from left to right. This is where you put the decimal point. Some teachers rather you keep the 0's there, while others prefer one to get rid of them. Anyways with that new decimal number, you multiply the decimal by ten to what ever number you counted, which was 7.