Final answer:
The volume of the basketball is 9 times greater than that of the softball.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find how many times greater the volume of the basketball is than that of the softball, we need to compare the volumes of the two spheres.
The formula for the volume of a sphere is V = (4/3)πr^3, where V is the volume and r is the radius.
Given that the basketball has a diameter of 9 in, the radius is 4.5 in. Plugging this value into the formula, we get V_basketball = (4/3)π(4.5^3).
Given that the softball has a diameter of 4 in, the radius is 2 in. Plugging this value into the formula, we get V_softball = (4/3)π(2^3).
Now we can calculate the ratio of the volumes: V_basketball / V_softball. Simplifying this expression, we find that the volume of the basketball is 9 times greater than that of the softball.