Question #f93d9

2 Answers
Nov 27, 2017

That's a gigantic cell!! :O :D
a) 2.56 xx 10^27 "mm"^3 volume
b) 2.56 xx 10^26L

Explanation:

These are just unit conversions.
1m^3 = 1 xx 10^9 mm^3
1Mm = 1 xx 10^6m, so 1Mm^3 = 1 xx 10^18m
1m^3 = 1000L

2.56 Mm^3 xx 10^18m^3/"Mm"^3 xx 10^9"mm"^3/m^3 =

2.56 xx 10^27 "mm"^3

2.56 Mm^3 xx 10^18m^3/"Mm"^3 xx 1 xx 10^3m^3/L xx 10^5 "cells" =

2.56 xx 10^26L

Nov 27, 2017

(a) 2.56xx10^-9 mm^3
(b) 2.56xx10^-10 L

Explanation:

Megameter means a million(10^6) meters, or 1000 kilometers. It would be too large to express the size of a bacterial cell.

The following answer is under the assumption that the volume is 2.56 cubic color(red)"micrometers". If you really want the volume of a gigantic bacterial cell, see SCooke's post.

"Micro" means one-millionth(10^-6).
1 μm=10^-6 m
1 μm^3 =(10^-6)^3 m^3= 10^-18 m^3

The volume of the bacterial cell is 2.56xx10^-18 m^3.

(a) 1 mm^3 = (10^-3)^3 m^3 =10^-9 m^3
2.56*10^-18 m^3 = (2.56xx10^-18)/(10^-9) mm^3 = 2.56xx10^-9 mm^3.

(b) The volume of 10^5 cell is 2.56xx10^-18 *10^5=2.56xx10^-13 m^3.
As 1 liter is 10^-3 cubic meters, the volume is
(2.56xx10^-13)/(10^-3) L=2.56xx10^-10 L.