Question

The average human body cell is about 5.1x10^-4 cm in diameter. The diameter of a plant cell is 8x10^-3. What is the combine diameter of the body cell and plant cell?

Answer 1

The combine diameter of the body cell and plant cell is $8.51 \times 10^{-3}$

Solution:

Given, The average human body cell is about $5.1 \times 10^{-4}$ cm in diameter.  

The diameter of a plant cell is $8 \times 10^{-3}$

We have to find what is the combine diameter of the body cell and plant cell?

In order to add or subtract numbers in scientific notation, the powers of ten must have the same exponent.  

In this case the diameter of an average human body cell is a power of -4 and the diameter of a plant cell is a power of -3.  

In order to add them, we can move the decimal over for the body cell diameter:

$5.1 \times 10^{-4}=0.51 \times 10^{-3}$

$\text { Now add both the values }=8 \times 10^{-3}+0.51 \times 10^{-3}=(8+0.51) \times 10^{-3}=8.51 \times 10^{-3}$

Hence, the combined diameter is $8.51 \times 10^{-3}$