Question

plants need potassium (k) for many metabolic processes, including the regulation of growth, protein synthesis, photosynthesis, and ionic balance. potassium - deficient potato plants show purple or brown spots and reduced plant, root, and seed growth. john notices that the leaves of his last crop of potatoes have brown spots, the potatoes are undersized, and the crop yield is low. tests on soil samples show that the potassium levels are below 100 ppm, indicating that the potato plants need supplemental potassium. john applies a fertilizer containing potassium chloride (kcl). to obtain the correct amount of potassium, john calculates that he needs to apply 170 kg of fertilizer per hectare. part a part b if johns potato field has an area of 31.0 hectares, how many pounds of fertilizer does john need to use? express your answer to two significant figures and include the appropriate units.

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate total fertilizer in kg

$31.0\ \text{ha} \times 170\ \text{kg/ha} = 5270\ \text{kg}$

Step2: Convert kg to pounds

$5270\ \text{kg} \times 2.20462\ \text{lb/kg} \approx 11618\ \text{lb}$

Step3: Round to two significant figures

$12000\ \text{lb}$

Answer:

12000 lb