Question

In an average year the American chemical industry produces more than 9.5 million metric tons of sodium carbonate. Over half of this is used in the manufacture of glass while another third is used in the production of detergents and other chemicals. How many pounds of sodium carbonate are produced annually?

1) 2.1 × 1010 lb
2) 4.3 × 109 lb
3) 1.1 × 107 lb
4) 2.2 × 106 lb
5) 2.1 × 104 lb

Answer 1

To find the annual production of sodium carbonate in pounds, multiply the production in metric tons (9.5 million) by the conversion factor (2204.62 pounds/metric ton), yielding 20.9439 x 10^9 pounds. The closest option to this value is 2.1 × 10^10 lb, which is option 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine how many pounds of sodium carbonate are produced annually from 9.5 million metric tons, we first need to convert metric tons to pounds. Since 1 metric ton is equal to approximately 2204.62 pounds, we can calculate the total production in pounds:

9.5 million metric tons × 2204.62 pounds/metric ton = 20.9439 × 109 pounds.

To answer the initial question, we should match the result with the choices provided, keeping in mind scientific notation and selection of the nearest value.

Answer Selection:

• 2.1 × 1010 lb
• 4.3 × 109 lb
• 1.1 × 107 lb
• 2.2 × 106 lb
• 2.1 × 104 lb

The closest value to our calculated amount is 2.1 × 1010 lb, which is option 1.