The standard form of the number 75,000 can be expressed as $7.5 \times 10^4$.

Standard form, often referred to as scientific notation, provides a concise way to represent very large or very small numbers. This notation is especially beneficial in scientific and engineering contexts, where such numbers are commonly encountered. To convert a number into standard form, you must express it as a product of a coefficient between 1 and 10, multiplied by a power of 10.

For the number 75,000, we begin by identifying its significant digits, which are 7.5. Next, we determine how many places we need to shift the decimal point to the left in order to transform 75,000 into 7.5. In this case, we move the decimal point four places to the left (from 75,000 to 7.5). This movement is indicated as a power of 10. Since we shifted the decimal point four places, the power of 10 is $4$. Thus, we can express 75,000 in standard form as:

Understanding standard form is essential for simplifying calculations and for effectively reading and writing extremely large or small numbers. It also facilitates quick comparisons between different magnitudes. For instance, $7.5 \times 10^4$ is far more manageable to work with than 75,000, particularly when performing operations like multiplication or division with other numbers in standard form.