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Answer:
A) 1.3×10^37 ergs
B) 1.435×10^3 mm
Step-by-step explanation:
A) The amount of energy will be the product of the energy rate and time:
(3.9×10^33 ergs/s)×(3.25×10^3 s) =12.675×10^(33+3) ergs
= 1.2675×10^(1+36) ergs
= 1.2675×10^37 ergs ≈ 1.3×10^37 ergs
The mantissa of the result is the product 3.9×3.25, adjusted to have one digit left of the decimal point. The exponent of the result is the sum of the exponents of the factors, adjusted by 1 to match the adjustment in the mantissa.
The final value should be rounded to 2 significant figures, reflecting the precision of the sun's energy production.
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B) A millimeter is a small fraction of an inch. 10^-3 mm is a small fraction of the width of a human hair, so 1.435×10^-3 mm is not a reasonable estimate of the distance between railroad tracks.
On the other hand, 1.435×10^3 mm is 1.435 m, almost 56.5 inches. This is a much more reasonable measurement of the distance between railroad rails.
1.435×10^3 mm is more reasonable
