Tag Archives: Useful Numbers

Scales and Scientific Notation

On Friday’s class, we talked about how large astronomical bodies can get, but we did not look at the numbers. We also did not talk about the small objects scientists study like DNA, molecules, atoms, high-energy waves like gamma rays and subatomic particles like electrons.

To find the numbers for particular scales you can check out this list here: http://www.falstad.com/scale/

These numbers can provide a point of reference when you are trying to estimate values.

A fun interactive that helps you develop a sense of these scales can be found here: Scale of the Universe 2. To navigate the scales, use the sliding bar at the bottom. I’ve posted a screenshot of the software below, which shows how a white blood cell, a red blood cell, e-coli, a clay particle, an x-chromosome, a y-chromosome, red light and violet light compare.

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