Lasik Risk Factors
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
Converting Units Challange Question…?
Set up conversion fractions using the factor-label method. Be sure to cancel out the units, use scientific notation as needed, and use the proper amount of significant figures…
You are currently working for an industrial optics company as a sales engineer. A LASIK company has asked for a laser that will be able to cut within [a 6.5 by 8.5 nanometer (nm) box]. It must fit within this area because it is being used on human eyes to correct vision problems. If you sell them a laser which cannot perform the task, you risk major lawsuits.
The Exciplex laser you sell covers a square area of 5.0 X 10^-13 cm^2. WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SELL THE LASIK COMPANY THE EXCIPLEX LASER OR WILL YOU HAVE TO FORFEIT THE SALE? (Be careful to take into account the SHAPE of the laser)
If the square area of the Exciplex laser is 5.0 X 10^-13 cm^2, then the length of one side of the square is:
√5.0 X 10^-13 cm^2 = 7.07 X 10^-7 cm = 7.07 X 10^-6 mm = 7.07 nm
Clearly this laser cannot cut into the desired box since 7.07 > 6.5.
See Michael Oher Have LASIK in 20 seconds at The May Eye Care Center