Answer :
Final answer:
To convert the thickness of a cell membrane from 8.0 nm to inches, multiple steps are involved: nanometers to meters and then meters to inches, using the conversion factor of 1 meter = 39.4 inches. The final result is 0.000315 inches.
Explanation:
The student is asking to convert the thickness of a cell membrane from nanometers (nm) to inches. Given that a cell membrane is 8.0 nm thick and the conversion factor is 1 meter = 39.4 inches, this conversion requires multiple steps. First, we convert nanometers to meters, and then we use the provided conversion factor to switch from meters to inches. Here's the step-by-step calculation:
- Start with the thickness in nanometers: 8.0 nm.
- Convert nanometers to meters: 8.0 nm × (1 meter/1,000,000,000 nm) = 8.0 × 10^-9 meters.
- Finally, convert meters to inches using the conversion factor: 8.0 × 10^-9 meters × 39.4 inches/1 meter = 3.15 × 10^-7 inches, which equals 0.000315 inches.
Therefore, the thickness of the cell membrane in inches is 0.000315 inches, which corresponds with option (a).
