To calculate how far the Atlantic Ocean will spread in a million years at a rate of 3 cm per year, you can use the formula:
\[ \text{Distance} = \text{Rate} \times \text{Time} \]
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First, calculate the distance in centimeters: \[ \text{Distance} = 3 , \text{cm/year} \times 1,000,000 , \text{years} = 3,000,000 , \text{cm} \]
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Next, convert centimeters to miles. There are 100,000 cm in a kilometer and approximately 0.621371 miles in a kilometer. So first convert to kilometers: \[ 3,000,000 , \text{cm} = \frac{3,000,000}{100,000} , \text{km} = 30 , \text{km} \]
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Now convert kilometers to miles: \[ 30 , \text{km} \times 0.621371 , \text{miles/km} \approx 18.64 , \text{miles} \]
Therefore, the Atlantic Ocean will spread approximately 18.6 miles in a million years.
The correct response is 18.6 miles.