Platelets and red blood cells are components of the blood. A typical platelet and red blood cell have diameters of approximately 2.33 x 10-6 m and 0.0000075 m, respectively. Which blood component has a bigger diameter, and approximately by how much? (1 point)

Question

A red blood cell has a bigger diameter than a platelet by 5.17 x 10-6 m.
A platelet has a bigger diameter than a red blood cell by 5.17 x 10-6 m.
A red blood cell has a bigger diameter than a platelet by 9.83 x 10-6 m.
A platelet has a bigger diameter than a red blood cell by 9.83 x 10-6 m.

Answer 1

To compare the diameters of a platelet and a red blood cell, we can directly compare their given diameters:

• Diameter of a platelet: \(2.33 \times 10^{-6}\) m
• Diameter of a red blood cell: \(0.0000075\) m, which can be expressed in scientific notation as \(7.5 \times 10^{-6}\) m

Now let's compare the two diameters:

• A red blood cell (\(7.5 \times 10^{-6}\) m) is larger than a platelet (\(2.33 \times 10^{-6}\) m).

Next, we calculate the difference in size:

\[ 7.5 \times 10^{-6} m - 2.33 \times 10^{-6} m = (7.5 - 2.33) \times 10^{-6} m = 5.17 \times 10^{-6} m \]

Thus, a red blood cell has a bigger diameter than a platelet by \(5.17 \times 10^{-6}\) m.

The correct answer is: A red blood cell has a bigger diameter than a platelet by \(5.17 \times 10^{-6}\) m.