If the radius of one cell were twice as large as the radius of another cell, how much higher or lower would its surface area-to-volume ratio be?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

As the radius of the cell increases, the surface area increases as the square of the radius (4πr^2) while the volume increases as the cube of the radius (4/3πr^3). Therefore, when the radius is doubled, the surface area is quadrupled while the volume is increased 8 times. This results in a lower surface area-to-volume ratio. The ratio is halved, meaning it is half as high as the smaller cell.

If the Radius of One Cell Were Twice as Large