Question

Earth is approximately a sphere of radius 6.37 × 106 m. What are (a) its circumference, (b) its surface area, and (c) its volume?

Answer 1

(a) 4.00×10^7 m

(b) 5.10×10^14 m^2

(c) 1.083×10^21 m^3

Explanation:

Put the given value of radius into the various formulas and do the arithmetic. Your scientific calculator can show you the results in scientific notation.

C = 2πr = 2π·6.37×10^6 m ≈ 4.00×10^7 m* . . . circumference

A = 4πr^2 = 4π(6.37×10^6 m)^2 ≈ 5.10×10^14 m^2 . . . area

V = (4/3)πr^3 = (4/3)π(6.37×10^6 m)^3 ≈ 1.083×10^21 m^3 . . . volume

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* An early definition of the meter was 10^-7 times the distance from the North Pole to the Equator as measured through Paris, France.