Question

A photograph of a bacteria enlarged 50,000 times attains a length of 5 cm as shown in the diagram. What is the actual length of the bacteria? If the photograph is enlarged 20,000 times only, what would be its enlarged length?

Answer 1

A photograph of a bacteria enlarged 50,000 times attains a length of 5 cm as shown in the diagram.

Answer 2

Given

A photograph of a bacteria enlarged 50,000 times attains a length of 5 cm.

To Find

• The actual length of the bacteria.
• Enlarged length of photograph if it is enlarged 20,000 times only.

Solution

Let actual length of bacteria be 'x'.

It is given that,

Photograph of bacteria if enlarged 50,000 times attains length of 5cm.

50000 of 'x' = 5 cm

x = ( 5/50000 ) cm

x = ( 1/10000 ) cm

x = ( 1/10000 ) × ( 1/100) m

x = ( 1/1000000 ) m

x = 1 μm

Actual Length of bacteria is 1 μm.

Now,

The photograph is enlarged 20,000 times only.

So, enlarged length of photograph will be 20,000 times of actual length of bacteria.

Length of photograph = 20,000 × 1 μm

Length of photograph = 20,000 μm

Length of photograph = (20000/1000000) m

Length of photograph = (2/100) m

Length of photograph = 2 cm

Enlarged length of photograph is 2 cm.

Answer

• Actual Length of bacteria is 1 μm.
• Enlarged length of photograph if it is enlarged 20,000 times only is 2 cm.