Antarctica is roughly semicircular with a radius of 2000 km. The average thickness of its ice cover is 3000 m. How many cubic centimeters of ice does Antarctica contain?

Answer 1

To find the volume of ice in Antarctica, we can model it as a semicircular cylinder. The volume ( V ) can be calculated using the formula ( V = \frac{1}{2} \pi r^2 h ), where ( r = 2000 ) km (or ( 2 \times 10^8 ) cm) and ( h = 3000 ) m (or ( 3 \times 10^5 ) cm). Thus, the volume of ice is approximately ( V \approx \frac{1}{2} \pi (2 \times 10^8)^2 (3 \times 10^5) ), which simplifies to about ( 3.77 \times 10^{14} ) cubic centimeters.