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