Question

question 4 of 10
a man is 1.7 m long. a yeast cell is 3.4 μm long. how does the length of the man compare to the length of the yeast cell?
a. the man is two (2) times larger than the yeast cell.
b. the man is five hundred thousand (5 x 10^5) times smaller than the yeast cell.
c. the man is two (2) times smaller than the yeast cell.
d. the man is five hundred thousand (5 x 10^5) times larger than the yeast cell.

Explanation:

Step1: Convert units

We know that $1\ \mu m = 10^{- 6}\ m$. So the length of the yeast - cell in meters is $3.4\times10^{-6}\ m$.

Step2: Calculate the ratio

The ratio of the length of the man to the length of the yeast - cell is $\frac{1.7}{3.4\times10^{-6}}=\frac{1.7}{3.4}\times10^{6}=0.5\times10^{6} = 5\times10^{5}$. This means the man is $5\times 10^{5}$ times larger than the yeast cell.

Answer:

D. The man is five hundred thousand ($5\times 10^{5}$) times larger than the yeast cell.