A strand of hair has an average mass of 2.17 × 10-5 ounces. A grain of rice has an average mass of 0.002 ounces. How much heavier is a grain of rice than a strand of hair? Express your answer in scientific notation. (1 point)

__x___ounces

1 answer

To find out how much heavier a grain of rice is than a strand of hair, we need to subtract the mass of the strand of hair from the mass of the grain of rice.

0.002 - 2.17 × 10^-5

To subtract these numbers, we need to convert the mass of the strand of hair to the same scientific notation as the mass of the grain of rice.

2.17 × 10^-5 can be written as 2.17 × 10^-3 × 10^-2

Now, the masses can be subtracted:

0.002 - 2.17 × 10^-3 × 10^-2

Simplifying the expression:

0.002 - 2.17 × 10^-5

Finally, we can express the answer in scientific notation:

1.83 × 10^-3 ounces

Therefore, a grain of rice is 1.83 × 10^-3 ounces heavier than a strand of hair.