D. 43.75%
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The curved surface area of a sphere is given by the formula:
- A = 4πr², where r is the radius
Since the diameter is decreased by 25%, it means the new diameter is 75% of the original. Therefore, the new radius will also be 75% of the original radius.
Let's calculate the new curved surface area:
- A(new) = 4π(0.75r)² = 4π(0.5625r²) = 0.5625 * (4πr²) = 0.5625*A
This means that the curved surface area decreases by:
- (1 - 0.5625) = 0.4375 = 43.75%