Questions: What unit of measure is most appropriate for expressing the size of bacteria?
Multiple Choice
micrometer
nanometer
milimeter
picometer
Transcript text: What unit of measure is most appropriate for expressing the size of bacteria?
Multiple Choice
micrometer
nanometer
milimeter
picometer
Solution
The answer is the first one: micrometer.
Explanation for each option:
Micrometer: This is the most appropriate unit for measuring the size of bacteria. Bacteria typically range from about 0.2 to 10 micrometers in length. The micrometer (µm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to one millionth of a meter (10^-6 meters).
Nanometer: While nanometers (nm) are used to measure very small objects, such as molecules and atoms, they are generally too small for measuring bacteria. One nanometer is one billionth of a meter (10^-9 meters), which is more appropriate for structures like viruses or the components of cells, but not whole bacteria.
Millimeter: Millimeters (mm) are too large for measuring bacteria. One millimeter is one thousandth of a meter (10^-3 meters), which is much larger than the typical size of bacteria.
Picometer: Picometers (pm) are even smaller than nanometers, being one trillionth of a meter (10^-12 meters). This unit is used for measuring atomic and subatomic particles, and is far too small for bacteria.
Summary:
The most appropriate unit of measure for expressing the size of bacteria is the micrometer.