Question

the students in a biology class are recording the diameter of organelles. group 4 put their information in the table below.

organelle	diameter (in mm)
mitochondrion	0.000001
chloroplast	$3\times10^{-6}$
ribosome	$2.3\times10^{-8}$
golgi body	0.000003

which organelle has the shortest diameter?
a. chloroplast
b. golgi body
c. ribosome
d. mitochondrion

Explanation:

Step1: Convert all values to scientific - notation

Nucleus: $\frac{1}{100000}=1\times10^{- 5}$; Mitochondrion: $0.000001 = 1\times10^{-6}$; Chloroplast: $3\times10^{-6}$; Ribosome: $2.3\times10^{-8}$; Golgi body: $0.000003=3\times10^{-6}$.

Step2: Compare the exponents

The exponents of the scientific - notation values are: for nucleus $-5$, for mitochondrion $-6$, for chloroplast $-6$, for ribosome $-8$, for Golgi body $-6$. A more negative exponent indicates a smaller number.

Answer:

C. ribosome