Question

The diameter of a human hair is 9 \cdot 10^{-5}9⋅10

−5
9, dot, 10, start superscript, minus, 5, end superscript meters. The diameter of a spider's silk is 3 \cdot 10^{-6}3⋅10
−6
3, dot, 10, start superscript, minus, 6, end superscript meters.
How much greater is the diameter of a human hair than the diameter of a spider's silk?
Write your answer in scientific notation.

Answer 1

Given that the diameter of a human hair = 9 \times 10^{-5}=9×10−5

Given that the diameter of a spider's silk = 3 \times 10^{-6}=3×10−6

Now we have to find how much greater is the diameter of a human hair than the diameter of a spider's silk.

To find that we just need to subtract the given numbers.

9 \times 10^{-5} - 3 \times 10^{-6}9×10−5−3×10−6

Since powers are not same so let's make them equal

= 90 \times 10^{-6} - 3 \times 10^{-6}=90×10−6−3×10−6

now we can easily subtract the coefficients that is 3 from 9

= (90-3) \times 10^{-6}=(90−3)×10−6

= 87 \times 10^{-6}=87×10−6

= 8.7 \times 10^{-5}=8.7×10−5

Hence final answer is 8.7 \times 10^{-5}8.7×10−5 .