If the mid-Atlantic Ocean is spreading at 2.4 cm per year, how many years has it taken for it to reach its present width of about 5000 km?
To determine the number of years it has taken for the mid-Atlantic Ocean to reach its present width of about 5000 km, we can use the formula:
Time = Distance / Speed
In this case, the distance is 5000 km, and the speed is 2.4 cm/year. However, we need to ensure that the units are consistent, so let's convert 2.4 cm/year to km/year for easier calculations.
1 km = 100,000 cm
So, 2.4 cm/year is equal to 2.4 cm/year * (1 km/100,000 cm) = 0.000024 km/year.
Now, we can substitute the values into the formula:
Time = 5000 km / 0.000024 km/year
Calculating this, we get:
Time = 208,333,333.33 years
Therefore, it has taken approximately 208,333,333.33 years for the mid-Atlantic Ocean to reach its present width of about 5000 km.
See your other post.
d - r*t or
t = d/r