Final answer:
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was intended to prevent U.S. interference in Japan's expansion in Asia by disabling the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The correct answer is option A: to continue building an empire while quickly knocking out U.S. military resistance in the Pacific.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was a strategic military action aiming to cripple the U.S. Pacific Fleet and prevent it from interfering with Japan's plan to expand its empire in Asia. This pre-emptive strike was part of a larger offensive targeting various territories in the Pacific, taking advantage of the weakened state of European colonial powers amid World War II. Japan's objective was to secure vital resources and create a defensive perimeter for its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
The attack resulted in significant U.S. losses, but did not destroy the American aircraft carriers, which were not present at the harbor, leading to the U.S. formally entering World War II against Japan, Germany, and Italy.
In light of these intentions, the correct answer to the student's question is option A: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was part of the Japanese plan to continue building an empire while quickly knocking out U.S. military resistance in the Pacific.