Question

A special observatory on a mountain in Siberia monitors the number of meteoroids entering the Earth's atmosphere above the North Pole. It is an automated system that detects the flashes of light caused by their friction with the atmospheric gases. If on average the system detects 51 per day, what is the estimated annual total number of meteoroids that enter the atmosphere above the pole? Express your answer using scientific notation and assume a non-leap year.

Answer 1

The number of meteoroids entering the atmosphere above the North Pole in a year can be estimated by multiplying the average number of detection per day by the number of days in a year.


Since there are 365.25 days in a non-leap year, the estimated annual total number of meteoroids entering the atmosphere over the North Pole is:


Annual Total Number = 51 (detection per day) * 365.25 (days in a year) ≈ 18561.25


Therefore, the estimated annual total number of meteoroids entering the atmosphere above the North Pole can be expressed as: 1.86 x 10^4 meteoroids per year.