If approximately 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water, what is the order of magnitude for the number of raindrops in the world's oceans?
copying brilliant
answer=26
about 70% of the earths surface is covered with water
To find the order of magnitude for the number of raindrops in the world's oceans, we can follow a step-by-step process.
1. Determine the size of a raindrop: On average, raindrops have a diameter of about 2 to 6 millimeters (mm). Let's assume an average raindrop diameter of 4 mm.
2. Calculate the volume of an average raindrop: The volume of a sphere (like a raindrop) can be calculated using the formula: V = (4/3) * π * r^3, where r is the radius of the raindrop. Since the diameter of the assumed average raindrop is 4 mm, the radius (r) would be half of that, i.e., 2 mm or 0.002 meters.
Plugging these values into the equation, we have:
V = (4/3) * π * (0.002)^3
V ≈ 3.35 x 10^(-9) cubic meters
3. Calculate the total volume of the world's oceans: The total volume of the Earth's oceans is estimated to be about 1.332 billion cubic kilometers or 1.332 x 10^18 cubic meters.
4. Divide the total volume of the oceans by the volume of an average raindrop:
1.332 x 10^18 cubic meters / 3.35 x 10^(-9) cubic meters ≈ 3.98 x 10^26 raindrops
So, the order of magnitude for the number of raindrops in the world's oceans is approximately 10^26.