Question

It has been proposed that North America is moving west at about 2 cm per year. How many kilometers would North America move west in 5,000 years if it's moving at a rate of 2 cm per year?

A) 100 km

B) 10 km

C) 1 km

D) 0.1 km

Answer 1

North America would move 0.1 km to the west in 5,000 years if it continues to move at a rate of 2 cm per year.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the distance North America would move to the west if it's moving at a rate of 2 cm per year for a duration of 5,000 years. To find the total distance moved, we multiply the rate of movement by the time.

First convert the rate from centimeters to kilometers since the final answer is expected in kilometers (1 km = 100,000 cm).

• 2 cm/year = 2 / 100,000 km/year = 0.00002 km/year
• Total distance moved in 5,000 years = rate × time = 0.00002 km/year × 5,000 years = 0.1 km

Therefore, North America would move 0.1 km west in 5,000 years.