Final answer:
The amount of gold in the ocean is calculated by multiplying the gold concentration by the mass of the ocean. With a concentration of 2.0 milligrams per ton and the ocean's mass being 1.5 × 10¹⁸ tons, there is an estimated 3.0 × 10¹⁶ tons of gold in the ocean.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the amount of gold in the ocean, we simply need to multiply the concentration of gold by the total mass of the ocean. Given that the concentration is 2.0 milligrams per ton, and the mass of the ocean is 1.5 × 10¹⁸ tons, the calculation is as follows:
Amount of Gold = Concentration × Mass of Ocean
Amount of Gold = 2.0 mg/ton × 1.5 × 10¹⁸ tons
Amount of Gold = 3.0 × 10¹⁶ mg
Since there are 1,000,000 milligrams in a ton, we convert this figure to tons:
Amount of Gold = 3.0 × 10¹⁶ mg × (1 ton / 1,000,000 mg)
Amount of Gold in tons = 3.0 × 10¹⁶ / 1,000,000 tons
Amount of Gold in tons = 3.0 × 10¹¶ tons
Therefore, there is an estimated 3.0 × 10¹⁶ tons of gold in the ocean.