Question

The diameter of the nucleus of a hydrogen atom is about 1 x 10^-2 meters. The diameter of the entire atom is 10,000 times that size. What is the approximate diameter of a hydrogen atom expressed in scientific notation?

a) 1 x 10^-6 meters
b) 1 x 10^-4 meters
c) 1 x 10^-2 meters
d) 1 x 10^2 meters

Answer 1

The approximate diameter of a hydrogen atom, which is 10,000 times the diameter of its nucleus, can be calculated as 1 x 10^-2 meters x 1 x 10^4, resulting in 1 x 10^2 meters.The right answer is d)

Step-by-step explanation:

The student has asked for the approximate diameter of a hydrogen atom if its nucleus has a diameter of approximately 1 x 10^-2 meters and the entire atom is 10,000 times that size. Since 10,000 can be written as 1 x 10^4 in scientific notation, you multiply the diameter of the nucleus by this number to find the diameter of the entire atom:

1 x 10^-2 meters x 1 x 10^4 = 1 x 10^2 meters

Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is:

d) 1 x 10^2 meters