Assume that a thin sheet of paper is 0.005 inch thick. The paper is torn in half, and the two halves placed together. The pile of paper is torn in half again, and then the two halves placed together and torn in half again. The paper is large enough so this process may be performed a total of 5 times. How thick is the pile of torn paper?
A) inches
B) inches
C) inches
D) inches
E) inches

Question

Assume that a thin sheet of paper is 0.005 inch thick. The paper is torn in half, and the two halves placed together. The pile of paper is torn in half again, and then the two halves placed together and torn in half again. The paper is large enough so this process may be performed a total of 5 times. How thick is the pile of torn paper?
A) inches 
B) inches 
C) inches 
D) inches 
E) inches

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Each time the paper is torn in half, the thickness is divided by 2. So after 5 times, the thickness is divided by 2 five times, which is the same as dividing by 32 (2 to the 5th power). Therefore, the thickness of the pile of paper is:
0.005 inch / 32 = 0.00015625 inch
Simplifying this fraction by moving the decimal point, we get:
0.00015625 inch = 1.5625 x 10^-4 inch
Rounding this to the nearest hundredth, we get:
1.56 x 10^-4 inch
Converting this to scientific notation, we get:
1.56 x 10^-4 inch = 1.56E-4 inch
Finally, expressing this in the required format, we get:
Answer: B
 The thickness of the pile of torn paper is 1.56E-4 inch.

Assume That a Thin Sheet of Paper Is 0