To find the maximum distance between the Earth and Mercury, given their maximum distances from the Sun, we can follow these steps:
1. Identify the given distances:
- The maximum distance between the Sun and Mercury is [tex]\( 7 \times 10^7 \text{ km} \)[/tex].
- The maximum distance between the Sun and the Earth is [tex]\( 1.5 \times 10^8 \text{ km} \)[/tex].
2. Calculate the maximum distance between the Earth and Mercury:
- We need to find the difference between the maximum distance of the Earth from the Sun and the maximum distance of Mercury from the Sun.
- This difference is:
[tex]\[
1.5 \times 10^8 \text{ km} - 7 \times 10^7 \text{ km}
\][/tex]
- Converting these into the same power of ten, we get:
[tex]\[
1.5 \times 10^8 \text{ km} = 1.5 \times 10^8 \text{ km}
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
7 \times 10^7 \text{ km} = 0.7 \times 10^8 \text{ km}
\][/tex]
- Subtract the two distances:
[tex]\[
1.5 \times 10^8 \text{ km} - 0.7 \times 10^8 \text{ km} = 0.8 \times 10^8 \text{ km}
\][/tex]
3. Express the result in scientific notation:
- The distance [tex]\( 0.8 \times 10^8 \text{ km} \)[/tex] can be expressed as:
[tex]\[
8.0 \times 10^7 \text{ km}
\][/tex]
Therefore, the maximum distance between the Earth and Mercury is:
[tex]\[
\boxed{8.0} \times 10^7 \text{ kilometers}
\][/tex]
