Question

A package contains 1.5 x 10³ paper clips. The mass of the bag is 1.2 kg. What is the mass of each paper clip? (In scientific notation)

A) 8 x 10⁻⁴ kg
B) 8 x 10⁻⁷ kg
C) 8 x 10⁻¹ kg
D) 8 x 10⁻¹⁰ kg

Answer 1

To find the mass of each paper clip, divide the mass of the bag (1.2 kg) by the number of paper clips (1.5 x 10³), resulting in 8 x 10⁻⁴ kg per paper clip.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mass of each paper clip can be found by dividing the total mass of the bag by the number of paper clips it contains. So to calculate the mass of an individual paper clip, we take:

Mass of the bag (1.2 kg) / Number of paper clips (1.5 x 10³).

The calculation is as follows:

1.2 kg / (1.5 x 10³) = 0.8 kg / 10³ = 8 x 10⁻⁴ kg.

Thus, the mass of each paper clip is 8 x 10⁻⁴ kg, which corresponds to option A).