Calculating Cell Magnification
http://www.cellsalive.com/howbig.htm
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/tutorials/cells/cells2.html
SI Units
Unit
1 metre (m)
1 millimetre (mm)
1 micrometre (μm)
1 nanometre (nm)
Units of Length (International System)
Metres
Equivalent
1m
= 1,000 millimetres
10-3m (0.001)
= 1,000 micrometres
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10 m (0.000001)
= 1,000 nanometres
10-9m (0.000000001)
= 1, 000 picometres
When you are converting between units you may find it helpful to remember the phrase,”
tights go down and the dead go up!” (t in tights is times, d in dead is divide). Due to cells
and their organelles being extremely small cells and their organelles are usually measured in
micrometres and nanometres.
Getting Used to SI units.
Calculate the following lengths in millimetres (mm) of the following measurements:
a. 0.25μm _____________
b. 450μm _____________
c. 200μm _____________
Calculate the following lengths in micrometres (um) of the following measurements:
d. 0.5mm _____________
e. 0.0026mm
_____________
f.
863nm _____________------
Calculate the following lengths in nanometres (nm) of the following measurements:
g. 0.2mm _____________
h. 0.006μm
_____________
i.
5μm _____________
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