Approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface is water. The total surface area of the Earth is approximately 5.1 x 1014 m2. How many square meters of the Earth’s surface is not water? Assuming that people could occupy only the land part of the Earth, approximately when would people be so crowded that every person would have only 1 m2 of space?
To find the square meters of the Earth's surface that is not water, we need to calculate the percentage of land area. Since 71% is water, then the remaining 29% must be land area.
Step 1: Calculate the land area of the Earth
Land area = (29/100) x Total surface area of the Earth
Given that the total surface area of the Earth is approximately 5.1 x 10^14 m^2:
Land area = (29/100) x 5.1 x 10^14 m^2
Step 2: Calculate the approximate time when people would be crowded and have only 1 m^2 of space
This calculation assumes that the current population is evenly distributed across the land area.
Step 2a: Find the current population
As of September 2020, the estimated world population is approximately 7.8 billion.
Current population = 7.8 x 10^9 people
Step 2b: Calculate the time when people would have 1 m^2 of space
Time = Land area / Current population
Let's calculate the results:
Land area = (29/100) x 5.1 x 10^14 m^2
≈ 1.479 x 10^14 m^2
Current population = 7.8 x 10^9 people
Time = Land area / Current population
≈ (1.479 x 10^14 m^2) / (7.8 x 10^9)
≈ 18.96 years
Therefore, approximately in 18.96 years, people would be so crowded that every person would have only 1 m^2 of space.
To find the number of square meters of the Earth's surface that is not water, we need to calculate 29% of the total surface area of the Earth.
Step 1: Calculate 29% of the total surface area:
Total Surface Area = 5.1 x 10^14 m^2
Non-Water Surface Area = 29% x Total Surface Area
Non-Water Surface Area = 0.29 x 5.1 x 10^14 m^2
Step 2: Calculate the result:
Non-Water Surface Area ≈ 1.479 x 10^14 m^2
Therefore, approximately 1.479 x 10^14 square meters of the Earth's surface is not water.
Now, to determine when people would be so crowded that everyone would have only 1 m^2 of space, we can divide the non-water surface area by the number of people on Earth.
Since the exact number of people on Earth is constantly changing, let's use a rough estimate. As of 2021, the estimated global population is around 7.9 billion (7.9 x 10^9).
Step 3: Divide the non-water surface area by the population:
Number of People = 7.9 x 10^9
Non-Water Surface Area / Number of People
(1.479 x 10^14 m^2) / (7.9 x 10^9)
Step 4: Calculate the result:
≈ 1.871 x 10^4 m^2
Therefore, based on this rough estimate, people would be so crowded that everyone would have only 1 m^2 of space approximately when the global population reaches 18,710.
71% water means 29% not water, so 0.29 * 5.1*10^14 m^2
when there are that many people, each would have only 1 m^2 of space, right?