Final answer:
The mass of the rock is calculated by finding the volume using the sphere volume formula and then multiplying by the density. The radius must first be converted to centimeters.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mass of a spherical rock with radius 2 inches and density 5.5 g/cm³ can be calculated by first finding the volume of the sphere, then multiplying it with its density. The formula for the volume of a sphere is Volume = ⅔πr³, where r is the radius. Since we have the radius in inches, we need to convert it to centimeters before we can proceed, noting that 1 inch equals 2.54 cm. Therefore, the radius in centimeters is 2 inches × 2.54 cm/inch = 5.08 cm.
The next step is to plug this value into the volume equation: Volume = ⅔π(5.08 cm)³. Once we calculate the volume, we then multiply the volume by the density to obtain the mass, Mass = Volume × Density. Using these steps, we will find the mass to the nearest gram.