The table lists the diameters of common viruses and bacteria. A single micrometer (µm) is equivalent to 1000 nanometers (nm).
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Using the table as evidence, which argument can be made about the size of viruses compared to the size of bacteria?
a
Viruses are smaller than most bacteria.
b
Viruses are both smaller and larger than bacteria.
c
Bacteria are smaller than most viruses.
d
Bacteria and viruses are about the same size.
a) Viruses are smaller than most bacteria.
Based on the information given in the table, the argument that can be made about the size of viruses compared to the size of bacteria is that viruses are smaller than most bacteria. Therefore, the correct answer is option a) Viruses are smaller than most bacteria.
To determine which argument can be made about the size of viruses compared to bacteria, we need to analyze the information provided in the table. The table lists the diameters of common viruses and bacteria.
The key information here is that a single micrometer (µm) is equivalent to 1000 nanometers (nm). This means that we can compare the sizes by converting the measurements into the same unit (either µm or nm).
By examining the entries in the table, we can see that the diameter values for viruses range from 20 nm to 400 nm. On the other hand, the diameter values for bacteria range from 0.2 µm to 2 µm.
Since 1 µm is equivalent to 1000 nm, we can convert the sizes of viruses and bacteria to the same unit for easier comparison:
Viruses:
- Range from 20 nm to 400 nm
Bacteria:
- Range from 0.2 µm to 2 µm (which is equivalent to 200 nm to 2000 nm)
Comparing the ranges, we can see that the smallest virus size (20 nm) is smaller than the smallest bacteria size (200 nm). Additionally, the largest bacteria size (2000 nm) is larger than the largest virus size (400 nm).
Therefore, based on the information from the table, we can conclude that viruses are smaller than most bacteria. So the correct answer is option a: Viruses are smaller than most bacteria.