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When cells get smaller, the volume (as well as mass) decreases faster than the surface area so the surface:volume increases. Cells with a high surface:volume are more effective in receiving nutrients through diffusion.

A cell (assume perfect sphere) with radius 2 has a surface area of 16pi and volume of 32pi/3. A cell with radius 3 has a surface area of 36pi and volume of 108pi/3. Also relatively speaking, volume can be thought of as y=x3 and surface area as y=x2. When there is a change in x, the change is more dramatic in the volume, so small cells have high ratios and large cells have low ratios.

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As a cell becomes larger what happens to its surface area and volume?

The Volume increases faster than the Surface Area


What happens to surface area to volume ratios for larger and larger cubes?

They grow


Is the surface-area-to-volume ratio of a small cell less than that of a larger cell?

As a cell becomes larger the surface area to volume ratio gets smaller. The volume increases by the square of the surface area. That is the main reason that one celled organisms are small.


Describe what happens to the surface area to volume ratio for larger and larger cubes?

For a cube with edge length, L. Surface area = 6L2. Volume = L3. So ratio of Surface Area / Volume = 6 / L. Therefore, as the side length, L, increases, the ratio will decrease.


What happens to mass if the volume is tripled?

If the volume is tripled while mass remains constant, the density (mass/volume) of the object decreases. This means that the object becomes less dense as the same amount of mass becomes spread over a larger volume.


What happens to the volume as an object gets larger?

really.. the answer is that the volume also gets larger


How does the ocean floor spreading affect the depth of the ocean?

Think o the volume of a box. As the base gets larger in perimeter, the surface area of the box becomes greater, and the volume increases.


What does volume and surface area have in common?

The volume of a body and the surface area arerelated but not in a direct way. For a given volume, the smallest surface area of an object is seen then the object is a sphere. As the shape flattens from a sphere, so the surface area becomes larger. When the object approaches an infinitely small thickness, the surface area approaches and infinite size.


How does a cell's ratio of surface area to volume change as the cell grows larger?

As a cell grows larger, its volume increases faster than its surface area, leading to a decrease in the surface area-to-volume ratio. This can limit the cell's ability to efficiently exchange materials with its environment, affecting its overall functioning.


What happens to the surface area and volume of a cell as it becomes larger?

They both increase with increasing cell radius (if we model a cell as a sphere). However, the rate of increase of the surface area is in general slower (dA/dr = 8πr) compared to the rate of increase of the volume (dV/dr = 4πr2). This would mean that with increasing cell size, the surface area to volume ratio is becoming smaller and smaller, giving a cell less surface area for the transport of nutrients for a given unit volume.


What happens to the volume and surface area of a cell as a cell becomes larger?

They both increase with increasing cell radius (if we model a cell as a sphere). However, the rate of increase of the surface area is in general slower (dA/dr = 8πr) compared to the rate of increase of the volume (dV/dr = 4πr2). This would mean that with increasing cell size, the surface area to volume ratio is becoming smaller and smaller, giving a cell less surface area for the transport of nutrients for a given unit volume.


What happens to the surface area of a cube when it doubles?

I will rephrase your question: What happens to the surface area of a cube when the volume doubles. Ans. Surface area becomes 1.5876 times larger. Explanation: Let L = the length of the side of the original cube and h x L the length of the cube that is double the volume. Now: Vol= L^3 x 2 = (h x L)^3 or h = 2^(1/3) = 1.2599, so the length will be 1.2599 times larger. Surface area = 6 x L^2 for original cube and 6 x L^2 x 1.2599^2 for the cube with twice the volume. 1.2599^2 = 1.5876 If you are asking what happens to the surface area when the sides double, then the larger cube has surface area = 6 * 2^2 * L^2 , so 6 * 2^2 = 24. Each side is 4 times larger so the total surface area is 24 times larger.