Final answer:
To find the ratio of the surface areas a2/a1, substitute the given radius values into the formula for the surface area of a sphere and simplify the expression. The ratio of the surface areas a2/a1 is 6.785.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the ratio of the surface areas a2/a1, we need to find the formulas for the surface area of spheres with radius r and 2.71r. The formula for the surface area of a sphere is 4πr^2. So, the surface area of sphere 1 is 4πr1^2 and the surface area of sphere 2 is 4πr2^2.
Substituting 2.71r for r1 and 2.71r*2.71r for r2 in the formulas, we get:
Surface area of sphere 1 (a1) = 4π(2.71r)^2 = 4π*7.3641r^2 = 29.4564πr^2
Surface area of sphere 2 (a2) = 4π(2.71r*2.71r)^2 = 4π*7.3641*7.3641*r^2 = 199.8681554πr^2
Therefore, the ratio of the surface areas a2/a1 = 199.8681554πr^2 / 29.4564πr^2 = 6.785.