Subtract Numbers in Scientific Notation Quick Check

Question

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

A platelet has a bigger diameter than a red blood cell by 5.17×10−6 m.
A platelet has a bigger diameter than a red blood cell by 5.17 times 10 superscript negative 6 baseline m.

A red blood cell has a bigger diameter than a platelet by 5.17×10−6 m.
A red blood cell has a bigger diameter than a platelet by 5.17 times 10 superscript negative 6 baseline m.

A red blood cell has a bigger diameter than a platelet by 9.83×10−6 m.
A red blood cell has a bigger diameter than a platelet by 9.83 times 10 superscript negative 6 baseline m.

A platelet has a bigger diameter than a red blood cell by 9.83×10−6 m.

Answer 1

To compare the diameters of the platelets and red blood cells, we first need to express both measurements in scientific notation:

1. Platelet: \( 2.33 \times 10^{-6} \) m
2. Red blood cell: \( 0.0000075 \) m can be converted to scientific notation as follows: \[ 0.0000075 = 7.5 \times 10^{-6} \text{ m} \]

Now we can compare the two values:

• Platelet: \( 2.33 \times 10^{-6} \)
• Red blood cell: \( 7.5 \times 10^{-6} \)

Since \( 7.5 \times 10^{-6} > 2.33 \times 10^{-6} \), we see that the red blood cell has a larger diameter.

To find how much larger, we subtract the diameter of the platelet from that of the red blood cell:

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

Thus, the conclusion is:

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