Mikita is painting a spherical model of a human cell for a science fair. She uses 452.16 square inches of paint to evenly cover the outside of the cell with one coat of paint. What is the diameter of the cell model? (Use 3.14 for the value of π.)

The surface area of a sphere is 4πr². Using π = 3.14, solve 452.16 = 4 × 3.14 × r², so r² = 452.16 ÷ 12.56 = 36 and the radius is 6 inches. The diameter is twice the radius, or 12 inches, so the correct choice is 12 in.

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