What percentage of Earth's mass would represent double the current amount of water?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking us to determine the percentage of Earth's total mass that would be equivalent to twice the current amount of water on Earth. To solve it, we need to know the total mass of Earth and the current amount of water to calculate the value and then find the corresponding percentage.
Answer
$0.0464\%$
Answer for screen readers
The percentage of Earth's total mass that is equivalent to twice the current amount of water is approximately $0.0464%$.
Steps to Solve
- Determine Earth's total mass
The total mass of the Earth is approximately $5.97 \times 10^{24}$ kg.
- Identify the current amount of water on Earth
The current amount of water on Earth is about $1.386 \times 10^{21}$ kg.
- Calculate twice the current amount of water
We need to find twice the current amount of water: $$ \text{Twice the amount of water} = 2 \times 1.386 \times 10^{21} \text{ kg} $$ Calculating this gives: $$ 2 \times 1.386 \times 10^{21} \approx 2.772 \times 10^{21} \text{ kg} $$
- Calculate the percentage of Earth's mass
Now, we can find the percentage of Earth's total mass that is equivalent to twice the current amount of water using the formula: $$ \text{Percentage} = \left( \frac{\text{Twice the amount of water}}{\text{Total mass of Earth}} \right) \times 100 $$ Substituting the values: $$ \text{Percentage} = \left( \frac{2.772 \times 10^{21}}{5.97 \times 10^{24}} \right) \times 100 $$
- Calculate the final percentage
Now, performing the calculations: $$ \text{Percentage} \approx \left( \frac{2.772}{5.97} \times 10^{-3} \right) \times 100 \approx 0.0464% $$
The percentage of Earth's total mass that is equivalent to twice the current amount of water is approximately $0.0464%$.
More Information
This percentage is a tiny fraction of Earth’s total mass, emphasizing just how small the water mass is compared to the entire planet. Despite covering about 71% of Earth's surface, water constitutes a minuscule part of its total mass.
Tips
- Confusing the values of Earth’s mass or the amount of water: Always verify your sources.
- Incorrectly setting up the percentage calculation: Ensure you divide the correct quantities.
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