Question

a nanometer is one - billionth, or $10^{-9}$, of a meter. a strand of dna is about 2.51 nanometers in diameter. use scientific notation to write the diameter of a dna strand in terms of meters.
the diameter of a strand of dna in scientific notation is
(type your answer in scientific notation, using the appropriate symbol from the math palette for any multiplication.)

Explanation:

Step1: Recall nanometer to meter conversion

1 nanometer = $10^{-9}$ meters. So 2.51 nanometers = 2.51 × $10^{-9}$ meters.

Step2: Write in scientific notation

The number 2.51 × $10^{-9}$ is already in scientific notation as it is in the form $a\times10^{n}$ where \(1\leq a< 10\) (here \(a = 2.51\)) and \(n\) is an integer (here \(n=- 9\)).

Answer:

\(2.51\times10^{-9}\)