Question

A)
If the Atlantic Ocean is widening at a rate of 3 cm per year, how far (in miles) will it spread ina million years?
(1 point)
186.4 miles
30 miles
18.6 miles
1.9 miles

Answer 1

To calculate how far the Atlantic Ocean will spread in a million years at a rate of 3 cm per year, you can follow these steps:

1. **Calculate the total distance in centimeters after one million years:**
\[
\text{Total distance} = \text{rate} \times \text{time} = 3 \, \text{cm/year} \times 1,000,000 \, \text{years} = 3,000,000 \, \text{cm}
\]

2. **Convert centimeters to miles:**
- First, note that there are 100 centimeters in a meter, and about 1609.34 meters in a mile.
\[
\text{Total distance in miles} = \frac{3,000,000 \, \text{cm}}{100 \, \text{cm/m}} \times \frac{1 \, \text{m}}{1609.34 \, \text{m/mile}} = \frac{3,000,000}{100 \times 1609.34} = \frac{3,000,000}{160934} \approx 18.6 \, \text{miles}
\]

Therefore, the Atlantic Ocean will spread approximately **18.6 miles** in a million years.

The correct answer is:
**18.6 miles**.