The average newborn weighs 7.5 pounds. About 4.1×106 babies are born in the United States every year. What is the approximate total weight in pounds of all the babies born in the U.S. in a year? Write the answer in scientific notation, expressed to the exact decimal place.
To find the total weight of all the babies born in the U.S. in a year, we can multiply the average weight of a newborn by the number of babies born.
Average weight of a newborn: 7.5 pounds
Number of babies born: 4.1 × 10^6
Total weight = (Average weight of a newborn) × (Number of babies born)
= 7.5 pounds × 4.1 × 10^6
= 30.75 × 10^6 pounds
Since the result is greater than or equal to 10, we can simplify it and express it in scientific notation:
Total weight ≈ 3.075 × 10^7 pounds
To calculate the approximate total weight of all babies born in the U.S. in a year, we can multiply the average weight of a newborn by the number of newborns.
Average newborn weight = 7.5 pounds
Number of newborns = 4.1 × 10^6
Total weight of all newborns = (Average newborn weight) × (Number of newborns)
Total weight of all newborns = 7.5 pounds × 4.1 × 10^6
To multiply these numbers, we can multiply the coefficients (7.5 and 4.1) and add the exponents (1 and 6).
Total weight of all newborns = 30.75 × 10^6 pounds
In scientific notation, this can be expressed as:
Total weight of all newborns = 3.075 × 10^7 pounds
To find the total weight of all the babies born in the U.S. in a year, we need to multiply the average weight of a newborn by the number of babies born.
Step 1: Convert the average weight of a newborn to scientific notation.
The average weight of a newborn is 7.5 pounds, which can be written as 7.5 × 10^0 pounds in scientific notation.
Step 2: Multiply the average weight by the number of babies born.
The number of babies born in the U.S. every year is 4.1 × 10^6.
To multiply these numbers in scientific notation, we multiply the coefficients and add the exponents. The calculation is as follows:
(7.5 × 10^0) × (4.1 × 10^6) = (7.5 × 4.1) × 10^(0+6) = 30.75 × 10^6
Step 3: Express the result in scientific notation to the exact decimal place.
The result, 30.75 × 10^6, has a coefficient of 30.75 and an exponent of 6. When expressed to the exact decimal place, it becomes 3.075 × 10^7.
Therefore, the approximate total weight in pounds of all the babies born in the U.S. in a year is 3.075 × 10^7 pounds.