Question

a passenger car weighs \\(4.5 \times 10^3\\) units. which unit of measure was used?

• grams
• ounces
• pounds
• tons

Explanation:

Convert scientific notation to standard form

$$ 4.5 \times 10^3 = 4.5 \times 1000 = 4500 $$

Evaluate realistic weight of a passenger car

• \(4500\text{ grams} = 4.5\text{ kg}\) (too light, like a laptop)
• \(4500\text{ ounces} \approx 281\text{ pounds}\) (too light, like a large dog)
• \(4500\text{ pounds} \approx 2\text{ tons}\) (typical weight of a passenger car)
• \(4500\text{ tons} = 9,000,000\text{ pounds}\) (too heavy, like a naval destroyer ship)

Answer:

• grams
• ounces
• pounds (Correct answer)
• tons