Question

Assuming the mass of an average cell is ten times the mass of a bacterium (which is 10⁻¹⁵ kg):(a) Calculate the number of cells in a hummingbird, assuming it weighs 10⁻² kg. (b) Calculate the number of cells in a human assuming the mass of the person is 10² kg.

Answer 1

Answer:

$10^{12}\ cells$

$10^{16}\ cells$

Explanation:

Mass of cell = $10\times 10^{-15}=10^{-14}\ kg$

Mass of hummingbird = $10^{-2}\ kg$

Mass of human = $10^{2}\ kg$

Number of cells is given by

$n=\dfrac{\text{Mass of hummingbird}}{\text{Mass of cell}}\\\Rightarrow n=\dfrac{10^{-2}}{10^{-14}}\\\Rightarrow n=10^{12}\ cells$

The number of cells in a hummingbird is $10^{12}\ cells$

$n=\dfrac{\text{Mass of human}}{\text{Mass of cell}}\\\Rightarrow n=\dfrac{10^{2}}{10^{-14}}\\\Rightarrow n=10^{16}\ cells$

The number of cells in a human is $10^{16}\ cells$