Question

The average human body cell is about 5.1x10^-4 cm in diameter. The diameter of a plant cell is 8x10^-3. What is the combine diameter of the body cell and plant cell?

Answer 1

The combine diameter of the body cell and plant cell is
`8.51 * 10^(-3)`

Solution:

Given, The average human body cell is about
`5.1 * 10^(-4)` cm in diameter.

The diameter of a plant cell is
`8 * 10^(-3)`

We have to find what is the combine diameter of the body cell and plant cell?

In order to add or subtract numbers in scientific notation, the powers of ten must have the same exponent.

In this case the diameter of an average human body cell is a power of -4 and the diameter of a plant cell is a power of -3.

In order to add them, we can move the decimal over for the body cell diameter:

`5.1 * 10^(-4)=0.51 * 10^(-3)`

`\text { Now add both the values }=8 * 10^(-3)+0.51 * 10^(-3)=(8+0.51) * 10^(-3)=8.51 * 10^(-3)`

Hence, the combined diameter is
`8.51 * 10^(-3)`