2. An ash borer is an invasive pest whose larvae eat the pulp of ash trees as they mature. A park ranger has a tree that is infested with ash borers. She estimates they have eaten approximately 40% of the tree's pulp. If the ash tree's trunk has a radius of 2 feet and a height of 15 feet, what was the total volume of the tree trunk before the ash borers started eating it?
188 cubic feet
471 cubic feet
235.5 cubic feet
706 cubic feet

Use the volume of a cylinder formula to find the volume of the tree trunk. We are given the dimensions of the tree trunk so we can just plug these values in and solve.

Solving:

[tex]\section*{}\subsection*{Volume of a Cylinder:}The volume \( V \) of a cylinder:\[V = \pi r^2 h\]\begin{itemize} \item \( r \) is the radius of the cylinder, \item \( h \) is the height of the cylinder.\end{itemize}[/tex]

[tex]\subsection*{}We are given:\begin{itemize} \item Radius \( r = 2 \) feet, \item Height \( h = 15 \) feet.\end{itemize}\\Substituting into the formula:\[V = \pi (2)^2 (15)\]\\\[V = \pi \times 4 \times 15 = \boxed{60\pi}\]\\\[V \approx 60 \times 3.1416 =\boxed{ 188.496 \text{ cubic feet}}\][/tex]

Therefore, the correct answer option is 188 cubic feet.