To find the difference in sizes between a hydrogen atom and an oxygen atom, let's first express both sizes in scientific notation:
- Size of a hydrogen atom: \( 1.2 \times 10^{-10} \) meters
- Size of an oxygen atom: \( 1.52 \times 10^{-10} \) meters
Now, we will find the difference in sizes:
\[ \text{Difference} = \text{Size of hydrogen atom} - \text{Size of oxygen atom} \] \[ = (1.2 \times 10^{-10}) - (1.52 \times 10^{-10}) \] \[ = -0.32 \times 10^{-10} \]
To express this result in proper scientific notation, we convert \(-0.32\) into scientific notation. Specifically, \(-0.32\) can be written as \(-3.2 \times 10^{-1}\). When combining it with \(10^{-10}\):
\[ -0.32 \times 10^{-10} = -3.2 \times 10^{-1} \times 10^{-10} = -3.2 \times 10^{-11} \]
Thus, the difference between the sizes of the hydrogen atom and the oxygen atom in scientific notation is:
\[ -3.2 \times 10^{-11} \text{ meters} \]