Question

4. The Torrid Zone on Earth is the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of

Capricorn (lines of latitude close to the equator). The distance between these two
tropics is about 3250 miles. You can estimate the distance as the height of a cylindrical
belt around the earth at the equator.
Port A: If the radius of the Earth is 3960 miles, then estimate the amount of surface area of
the Torrid Zone. Approximate to the nearest thousands place.
Part B: A meteorite is equally likely to hit the earth Estimate the probability of a meteorite
hitting the Torrid Zone.​

Answer 1

A) 80,864,600 miles²

B) 0.41

Explanation:

A)

Surface area of a cylindrical belt:

S = height*2*π*radius

Replacing with data:

S = 3250*2*π*3960

S = 80,864,600 miles²

B) Supposing that Earth is a sphere, its surface area is:

S = 4*π*radius²

Replacing with data:

S = 4*π*3960²

S = 197,060,800 miles²

Then, the probability of a meteorite hitting the Torrid Zone is: 80,864,600/ 197,060,800 = 0.41