Question

The diameter of the Sun is about 1.4 x 106 km. The diameter of the planetMercury is about 5000 km.What is the approximate ratio of the diameter of the Sun to the diameter ofMercury?A. 2.8 x 102B. 3.6 x 102C. 2.8 x 103D. 3.6 x 10-3SUBMIT

Answer 1

we have

diameter of the Sun is

1.4 x 10^6 km

diameter of the planet

Mercury is

5000 km=5 x 10^3 km

Find out the ratio of the diameter of the Sun to the diameter of

Mercury

so

Divide the the diameter of the Sun by the diameter of

Mercury

1.4 x 10^6 km/5 x 10^3 km=(1.4/5) x 10^(6-3)

Remember that

In a division you subtract the exponents

so

(0.28) x 10^3=2.8 x 10^2

the answer is the option A