Question

Two cells are viewed and measured under a microscope. The approximate diameter of each cell is listed.

Cell P: 5.0 × 10^−4 m

Cell Q: 3.0 × 10^−5 m

Which expression would you use to find the difference between the two diameters?

1 answer

To find the difference between the diameters of Cell P and Cell Q, you would need to subtract the diameter of Cell Q from the diameter of Cell P. This can be expressed mathematically as:

\[ \text{Difference} = \text{Cell P} - \text{Cell Q} \]

Substituting the given values:

\[ \text{Difference} = (5.0 \times 10^{-4} , \text{m}) - (3.0 \times 10^{-5} , \text{m}) \]

You would need to convert the two values to the same power of ten before performing the subtraction. In this case, you can convert \(3.0 \times 10^{-5}\) to the same power as \(5.0 \times 10^{-4}\):

\[ 3.0 \times 10^{-5} = 0.3 \times 10^{-4} \]

Now the expression becomes:

\[ \text{Difference} = (5.0 \times 10^{-4} , \text{m}) - (0.3 \times 10^{-4} , \text{m}) = (5.0 - 0.3) \times 10^{-4} , \text{m} \]

Calculating that gives:

\[ \text{Difference} = 4.7 \times 10^{-4} , \text{m} \]

Thus, the expression to find the difference between the two diameters is:

\[ (5.0 \times 10^{-4}) - (3.0 \times 10^{-5}) \]