Question

The average distance of the Earth from the Sun is 93 million miles. This distance is not constant due to the elliptical rotation of the Earth around the sun and can vary by approximately 1.6 million miles. Which equation can be used to represent the minimum and maximum distances between the Earth and the Sun?

Answer 1

|x - 93| = 1.6

Explanation:

Let x represent the minimum and maximum distance between the earth and the sun in million miles.

The average distance between the earth and sun is 93 million miles and can vary by approximately 1.6 million miles. Hence:

x = 93 + 1.6 or x = 93 - 1.6

x - 93 = 1.6 or x - 93 = -1.6

x - 93 = 16 or -(x - 93) = 1.6

But |x - 93| = x - 93 or -(x - 93). Therefore:

|x - 93| = 1.6