Question

The size of a cell is typically found by capturing an image under a microscope then using software to measure its diameter. Two cells are measured using this method:
Cell D: 4, point, 6, 1, times, 10, to the power minus 34.61×10
−3
centimeters
Cell E: 5, point, 5, times, 10, to the power minus 45.5×10
−4
centimeters
What's the difference between the diameters of the two cells? Express your answer using either standard notation or scientific notation.

Answer 1

Interpreting Cell D = 4.61×10^−3 cm and Cell E = 5.5×10^−4 cm:

4.61×10^−3 − 5.5×10^−4 = 46.1×10^−4 − 5.5×10^−4 = 40.6×10^−4 = 4.06×10^−3 cm.

So the difference is 4.06×10^−3 cm (0.00406 cm).