Question

a nuclear chemist measures the mass of an artificial element. the mass is 49 pg. what is the mass in g? write your answer in scientific notation.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the conversion factor

We know that \(1\space pg = 10^{-12}\space g\). So to convert picograms to grams, we multiply the given mass in picograms by \(10^{-12}\).

Step2: Perform the conversion

The given mass is \(49\space pg\). So converting to grams, we have \(49\times10^{-12}\space g\). But we need to write this in scientific notation. We know that \(49 = 4.9\times10^{1}\), so \(49\times10^{-12}=4.9\times 10^{1}\times10^{-12}\). Using the rule of exponents \(a^{m}\times a^{n}=a^{m + n}\), we get \(4.9\times10^{1- 12}=4.9\times10^{-11}\space g\).

Answer:

\(4.9\times10^{-11}\)