Calculate the residence time of sodium.
Use
Mass m
(tons) Flow rate, f:3.5*10^5
(tons/year)
Sodium:2.8*10^13
Zach is investigating the residence time of sodium in sea water. According to Zach's data table, the residence time of sodium written in scientific notation is
years.
To calculate the residence time of sodium, we can use the formula:
Residence time = Mass / Flow rate
Given:
Mass of sodium (m) = 2.8 * 10^13 tons
Flow rate (f) = 3.5 * 10^5 tons/year
Residence time = (2.8 * 10^13 tons) / (3.5 * 10^5 tons/year)
To divide these quantities with exponents, we can subtract the exponents:
Residence time = 2.8 * 10^13 / 3.5 * 10^5 tons/year
Now, let's simplify this calculation:
Residence time = (2.8 / 3.5) * (10^13 / 10^5) tons/year
Residence time = 0.8 * 10^8 tons/year
Now, we should express this answer in scientific notation since Zach's data table uses scientific notation.
0.8 * 10^8 tons/year can be written as 8 * 10^7 tons/year.
Therefore, the residence time of sodium, written in scientific notation, is 8 * 10^7 years.