Final answer:
To calculate the approximate average number of people per square mile in Australia, divide the population of 23 million by the area of 2.95 times 10 to the power of 6 square miles, resulting in around 7.8 people per square mile.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asked about the approximate average number of people per square mile in Australia. To find this, we can use the population of Australia and its area in square miles. In 2017, Australia's population was approximately 23 million and the area of Australia is 2.95 times 10 to the power of 6 square miles.
To calculate the population density, we divide the total population by the total area:
- Population of Australia = 23,000,000 people
- Area of Australia = 2.95 x 10^6 square miles
- Population Density (people per square mile) = Population / Area
- Population Density = 23,000,000 / (2.95 x 10^6)
- Population Density ≈ 7.8 people per square mile
This means that there are approximately 7.8 people per square mile in Australia, which is considerably lower compared to many other countries, reflecting the country's large desert areas and urban concentration.