Answer
The maximum remaining life span of Halley's Comet is 76,000 years.
Work Step by Step
To calculate the maximum remaining life span of Halley's Comet, we need to determine how many times it can lose 100 million tons of material before it completely dissipates.
Mass loss per orbit = 100 million tons = 100,000,000,000 kg
Total mass of Halley's Comet = 100 billion tons = 100,000,000,000,000 kg
Number of orbits until complete dissipation = Total mass of Halley's Comet / Mass loss per orbit
Number of orbits = 100,000,000,000,000 kg / 100,000,000,000 kg
Number of orbits = 1,000
Since the orbital period of Halley's Comet is 76 years, the maximum remaining life span can be calculated by multiplying the number of orbits by the orbital period:
Maximum remaining life span = Number of orbits × Orbital period
Maximum remaining life span = 1,000 orbits × 76 years
Maximum remaining life span = 76,000 years
Therefore, the maximum remaining life span of Halley's Comet is approximately 76,000 years.
