The approximate surface area of the onion is 38.484475 square inches. Rounding to the nearest hundredth, if that is desired for the answer format, it would be approximately 38.48 square inches.
The surface area of the onion can best be modeled by a sphere. The given height likely refers to the approximate diameter in this scenario, since onions are generally spherical, but the provided diameter of 3.5 inches is a more direct measurement for determining the radius.
Given that the diameter of the onion is 3.5 inches, we can calculate the radius by dividing the diameter by 2:
Radius (r) = Diameter / 2 = 3.5 inches / 2 = 1.75 inches
The formula for the surface area of a sphere is:
Surface Area (SA) = 4 * π * r^2
Using the calculated radius of 1.75 inches:
SA = 4 * π * (1.75 inches)^2
SA = 4 * π * 3.0625 square inches
SA = 4 * π * 3.0625
SA = 12.25 * π
SA ≈ 12.25 * 3.14159 (approximate value for π)
SA ≈ 38.484475 square inches
Based on the model, the approximate surface area of the onion is 38.484475 square inches. Rounding to the nearest hundredth, if that is desired for the answer format, it would be approximately 38.48 square inches.