The charge on the electron is `1.6 xx 10^(-19)` C . The order of magnitude is

Options

A. `10^(19)C`
B. `10^(18)m`
C. `10^(-18)C`
D. `10^(-19)C`

Answer

To find the order of magnitude of the charge on the electron, which is given as \(1.6 \times 10^{-19}\) coulombs, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the given value
The charge on the electron is given as:
\[ Q = 1.6 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C} \]

### Step 2: Write the charge in scientific notation
The charge is already in scientific notation, where \(A = 1.6\) and \(n = -19\).

### Step 3: Determine the value of \(A\)
In the scientific notation \(A \times 10^n\), the value of \(A\) must be between 1 and 10. Here, \(A = 1.6\), which is between 1 and 5.

### Step 4: Identify the order of magnitude
According to the rules for determining the order of magnitude:
- If \(A\) is between 1 and 5, the order of magnitude is simply \(n\).
- If \(A\) is between 5 and 10, the order of magnitude would be \(n + 1\).

Since \(A = 1.6\) and \(n = -19\), we conclude that:
\[ \text{Order of magnitude} = n = -19 \]

### Step 5: Write the final answer
Thus, the order of magnitude of the charge on the electron is:
\[ \text{Order of magnitude} = 10^{-19} \text{ C} \]

### Summary
The order of magnitude of the charge on the electron is \(10^{-19}\) coulombs.

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