Assume that the average rate of 1- km sized asteroids hitting the Earth is about 1 every million years. The chance of the Earth being hit by a 1- km sized asteroid in the next 100 years is about:
A)inevitable, it has to happen sometime.
B)zero.
C)one in ten thousand.
D)one in a million.
E)one in 100 million.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the average rate of 1-km sized asteroids hitting the Earth is 1 every million years, then the probability of it happening in any given year is 1 in a million. Therefore, the probability of it happening in the next 100 years is 100 divided by a million, which simplifies to one in ten thousand.

Assume That the Average Rate of 1- Km Sized Asteroids