How Big or Far Is It?
Introduction
Instruments such as the microscope and the telescope have expanded our normally narrow view
of size and distance. Appreciating our size and position in the universe can be a difficult concept.
SCIENTIFIC
BIO FAX!
Concepts
• Scientific notation
• Metric units
• Relative size
Background
Very large and very small numbers have a lot of zeros in them. Scientific notation provides a shorthand way of representing these zeros. For example, one million (1,000,000) is written 106 and one millionth (0.000001) is written 10–6. Getting
students to appreciate and understand the magnitude of each level of magnification up and down the scale of size can be
difficult. Seeing the numbers written out can help with an initial appreciation of the numbers and of the scientific notation
shorthand. Examples of items that correspond to certain sizes and distances can also help put the numbers into perspective.
Procedure
The chart provided on the back of this BioFax can be copied and used as a student reference. It can serve as an excellent
starting point for discussing scientific notation, the metric system, and the relative size of objects. Throughout the year, as
various objects are discussed, refer back to the reference chart.
Connecting to the National Standards
This laboratory activity relates to the following National Science Education Standards (1996):
Unifying Concepts and Processes: Grades K–12
Constancy, change, and measurement
Content Standards: Grades 5–8
Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science, nature of science
Content Standards: Grades 9–12
Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science, nature of scientific knowledge
Tips
• Add other reference items to the chart. Challenge students to find objects that are in various ranges on the chart.
• Make a bulletin board and find pictures of all of the objects on the chart.
© 2016 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Publication No. 10372
061616
1
How Big or Far Is It? continued
How Big or Far Is It?
Meters
1016
10 000 000 000 000 000 m
1015
1 000 000 000 000 000 m
1014
100 000 000 000 000 m
1013
10 000 000 000 000 m
1012
1 000 000 000 000 m
1011
100 000 000 000 m
1010
10 000 000 000 m
109
1 000 000 000 m
108
100 000 000 m
107
10 000 000 m
106
1 000 000 m
105
100 000 m
104
10 000 m
103
1 000 m
102
100 m
101
10 m
Distance light travels in one year
Distance to the Sun
Distance to the Moon
Distance across the Earth (diameter)
Tallest building (500m)
Giant Sequoia tree
Length of typical classroom
1 m
One meter (humans are about 2m tall)
10–1
0.1 m
Ten centimeters
10–2
0.01 m
One centimeter
10–3
0.001 m
One millimeter (fish egg)
10–4
0.000 1 m
Size of smallest visible object (eye)
10–5
0.000 01 m
Width of human blood cell
10–6
0.000 001 m
Thickness of outside wall of plant cell; lysosome
10–7
0.000 000 1 m
Size of smallest object visible with light microscope
10–8
0.000 000 01 m
Size of Ribosome
10–9
0.000 000 001 m
Size of smallest object seen with electron microscope
10–10
0.000 000 000 1 m
Diameter of a hydrogen atom
10–11
0.000 000 000 01 m
10–12
0.000 000 000 001 m
10–13
0.000 000 000 000 1 m
10–14
0.000 000 000 000 01 m
10–15
0.000 000 000 000 001 m
2
1
Approximate Point of Reference
© 2016 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Diameter of subatomic particle (proton/neutron)