Question: The surface of the continental United States has an area of about B x 106 km2 and an average elevation of about 500 m (above

The surface of the continental United States has an area of about B x 106 km2 and an average elevation of about 500 m (above sea level). The average yearly rainfall is 75 cm. The fraction of this rainwater that returns to the atmosphere by evaporation is 2/3; the rest eventually flows into the ocean. If the decrease in gravitational potential energy of the water-Earth system associated with that flow could be fully converted to electrical energy, what would be the average power? (The mass of 1 m3 of water is 1000 kg.)

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