To determine what fraction of a second is a picosecond, we'll use the given information that there are 3.6 × 10^15 picoseconds per hour. We can use dimensional analysis to find the relationship between picoseconds and seconds.
We know:
- 1 hour = 3.6 × 10^15 picoseconds
- 1 hour = 3600 seconds
To find the fraction of a second that one picosecond represents, we set up the conversion:
\[\text{Number of seconds per picosecond} = \frac{\text{Number of seconds per hour}}{\text{Number of picoseconds per hour}}\]
Substitute the given values:
\[\text{Number of seconds per picosecond} = \frac{3600 \, \text{s}}{3.6 \times 10^{15} \, \text{ps}}\]
Simplifying:
\[\text{Number of seconds per picosecond} = \frac{3600}{3.6 \times 10^{15} }\]
Dividing the numerator by the denominator:
\[\text{Number of seconds per picosecond} = \frac{3600}{3.6} \times 10^{-15} \, \text{s}\]
\[\text{Number of seconds per picosecond} = 10^3 \times 10^{-15} \, \text{s}\]
\[\text{Number of seconds per picosecond} = 10^{-12} \, \text{s}\]
Thus, 1 picosecond is \(1 \times 10^{-12} \) seconds.
The correct answer is:
C. \(1 \times 10^{-12} \, \text{s}\)
The speed of computer is measured in number of calculations per picosecond. There are 3.6 × 1015 picoseconds per hour. Use dimensional analysis to find what fraction of a second is a picosecond. Write the answer in scientific notation.
A.
1 x 1018 s
B.
1 x 1012 s
C.
1 x 10-12 s
1 answer