Daily Math Puzzle: 2026-07-08

500 square meters — To maximize the surface area of the newly exposed faces, Emma needs to make a cut that exposes the largest possible area. Since the asteroid is a perfect cube with a side length of 10 meters, cutting it along a plane that is perpendicular to one of its faces and passes through the center of the cube will expose two faces of 10x10 meters each, but this isn't possible with a single cut as it describes cutting the cube into two equal parts without exposing new faces fully. However, if Emma cuts the cube diagonally through its center, she will expose two new rectangular faces. Each of these faces will have dimensions of 10 meters by 10*sqrt(2) meters (diagonal of a face of the cube). The area of one such face is 10 * 10 * sqrt(2) = 100 * sqrt(2) square meters. Since there are two such faces exposed by the cut, the total new surface area exposed is 2 * 100 * sqrt(2) = 200 * sqrt(2) square meters. Calculating 200 * sqrt(2) gives approximately 282.84 square meters. However, looking at the provided choices and re-evaluating for a straightforward solution: if Emma cuts the asteroid into two equal halves (which would be the most straightforward maximization, even though it doesn't directly match the calculated scenario), she would expose two faces of 10x10 meters. So, 2 * (10 * 10) = 200 square meters.