Question
6. At its closest Earth is 147098300 km from the Sun. a) What degree of precision do you think is used to state this distance? Explain. b) Round the distance to the nearest million kilometres. c) Do you think it is acceptable to state the closest distance between Earth and the Sun as your answer to part b)? Explai
Solution
4.7
(218 Votes)
Harper
Master ยท Tutor for 5 years
Answer
a) The given distance, 147,098,300 km, is precise to the nearest **kilometer**. This is because the number is given with digits in the hundreds, tens, and units places. If it were precise to, say, the nearest thousand kilometers, those last three digits would be zeros.b) Rounded to the nearest million kilometers, the distance is **147 million km**. We look at the digit immediately to the right of the millions place (the '0' in the hundred thousands place). Since it is less than 5, we round down, keeping the millions place as it is and changing all digits to the right to zeros.c) Yes, stating the closest distance between Earth and the Sun as 147 million km is generally acceptable. While the precise distance varies slightly throughout the year, 147 million km provides a reasonable approximation for most purposes. It conveys the magnitude of the distance effectively without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. For everyday conversations or general educational contexts, this level of precision is sufficient. However, for scientific calculations requiring higher accuracy, the more precise figure should be used.