Final answer:
The diameter of a red blood cell should be more accurately represented in micrometers (7.5µm), consistent with its actual size of about 8µm. The use of scientific notation in micrometers aligns with conventions in biology and medicine and facilitates easier comprehension when using light microscopes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Madison is considering using an exponent form for the diameter of a red blood cell, which is provided as 7.5×10⁴ mm. However, this representation seems unusually large for a red blood cell, considering a typical human red blood cell is about 8 micrometers (µm) in diameter. Since 1 micrometer is equal to 10⁻¶ meters, it's appropriate to represent microscopic dimensions, such as cell sizes, in micrometers for clarity and accuracy.
Thus, a more accurate scientific notation for the diameter of a red blood cell would be close to 7.5×10⁻¶ m or 7.5µm. To put it in perspective, about 250 red blood cells could fit on the head of a pin, which is around 2 mm in diameter. Using micrometers as a unit for such small dimensions is consistent with their scale and makes calculations and comparisons more intuitive.
Moreover, it aligns with the conventions used in biology and medicine, where cellular dimensions are typically discussed in micrometers. Scientific notation helps to simplify numbers and make them easier to work with, especially when dealing with cells and other structures that can only be observed using light microscopes.