Question

The Sahara Desert has an area of approximately 9,400,400 km2. While estimates of its average depth vary, they center around 150 m. One cm3 holds approximately 8,000 grains of sand. a) Approximately how many grains of sand are in the Sahara Desert?

Answer 1

Answer:

$1.128048 \times 10^{25}$ grains of sand are in the Sahara Desert

Step-by-step explanation:

Given :

The Sahara Desert has an area of approximately 9,400,400 sq.km.

Depth = 150 m

To Find :Approximately how many grains of sand are in the Sahara Desert?

Solution:

Area of Sahara desert = 9,400,400 sq.km.

$1 km^2 = 1000000 m^2$

So, $9,400,400 km^2 = 1000000 \times 9400400 m^2$

$9,400,400 km^2 =9.4004 \times 10^{12}m^2$

Volume of sand =$Area \times depth$

                           =$1.41006\times 10^{15} m^3$

$1 m ^3 = 1000000 cm^3$

So, $1.41006\times 10^{15} m^3 = 1.41006\times 10^{15} \times 1000000cm^3$

$1.41006\times 10^{15} m^3 =1.41006 \times 10^{21}cm^3$

1 cubic cm holds grains of sand = 8000

$1.41006 \times 10^{21}cm^3$ holds grains of sand = $1.41006 \times 10^{21} \times 8000$

                                                                                    = $1.128048 \times 10^{25}$

Hence $1.128048 \times 10^{25}$ grains of sand are in the Sahara Desert