Question

c. diatoms are a group of microalgae found in oceans, waterways, and soil. they are a primary source of food in the sea. one type of diatom measures 0.07 millimetres in length. how many diatoms would be needed to stretch along 1200 kilometres of shoreline?

d. in 2018, canadas population was approximately 3.706×10⁷. it is estimated that the average canadian used 329 litres of water per day for laundry, bathing, flushing, and drinking. estimate how much water canadians used per day in the year 2018.

Explanation:

Step1: Convert 1200 km to mm

Since 1 km = 1000000 mm, then 1200 km = 1200×1000000 mm = 1200000000 mm.

Step2: Calculate number of diatoms

Divide the total length of shoreline in mm by length of one diatom. Let \(n\) be the number of diatoms. \(n=\frac{1200000000}{0.07}\approx1.714\times 10^{10}\).

Step3: Calculate daily water - usage for Canadians in 2018

Multiply the average water - usage per person per day by the population. Let \(W\) be the total daily water - usage. The population \(P = 3.706\times 10^{7}\) and water - usage per person \(w = 329\) litres. Then \(W=329\times3.706\times 10^{7}=329\times37060000 = 1.219274\times 10^{10}\) litres.

Answer:

c. Approximately \(1.714\times 10^{10}\) diatoms.
d. \(1.219274\times 10^{10}\) litres.