A student creates a scale model of planets where 1 centimeter (cm) is equal to 10,000 kilometers (km). In this model, which planet would have a diameter of approximately 12 cm?(1 point)

Responses

Earth
Earth

Mars
Mars

Jupiter
Jupiter

Saturn
Saturn

1 answer

To determine which planet would have a diameter of approximately 12 cm in this scale model where 1 cm equals 10,000 kilometers, we need to convert the diameter from centimeters to kilometers.

The formula to calculate the diameter in kilometers based on the scale is: \[ \text{Diameter in km} = \text{Diameter in cm} \times 10,000 \]

If the diameter of the model is 12 cm, then: \[ \text{Diameter in km} = 12 , \text{cm} \times 10,000 , \text{km/cm} = 120,000 , \text{km} \]

Now we can compare this value with the actual diameters of the planets:

  • Earth: Approximately 12,742 km
  • Mars: Approximately 6,779 km
  • Jupiter: Approximately 139,822 km
  • Saturn: Approximately 116,460 km

Given that 120,000 km is closest to Saturn's diameter (116,460 km) when we consider the options provided, the answer is:

Saturn