Final answer:
To find the number of rabbit hairs in Pisgah National Forest, convert the forest area to square meters, calculate the number of rabbits, and then multiply by hairs per rabbit. The closest correct answer is D. 3.68 x 10⁻ hairs, though the calculations yield a result of approximately 5.5502 x 10⁽ hairs.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the approximate number of individual rabbit hairs in Pisgah National Forest, we need to follow several steps involving unit conversion and multiplication. First, we convert the area of the forest from acres to square meters, then find the number of rabbits per square meter, and finally multiply by the number of hairs per rabbit.
The given area of Pisgah National Forest is 5.00 x 10⁵ acres. Since 1 acre equals 4,046.8 m², we calculate the area in square meters:
- 5.00 x 10⁵ acres x 4,046.8 m²/acre = 2.0234 x 10⁹ m²
Next, with an average of 6.00 rabbits per 100 m², we find the number of rabbits in the entire forest:
- (6.00 rabbits / 100 m²) x (2.0234 x 10⁹ m²) = 1.21404 x 10⁸ rabbits
Finally, we multiply the total number of rabbits by the average number of hairs on a rabbit, which is 457,000.0 hairs per rabbit:
- 1.21404 x 10⁸ rabbits x 457,000.0 hairs/rabbit = 5.5502 x 10⁽ hairs
After calculating, we arrive at approximately 5.5502 x 10⁽ individual rabbit hairs. Therefore, option D. 3.68 x 10⁻ hairs is the closest to our result, indicating a typo in the original question.