Question

Kasimir rode his bike 34,478 centimeters. He converts the distance to kilometers. His work is shown below.

34,478 centimeters times 1,000 = 34,478,000 kilometers

Which statement explains Kasimir’s error? Use the metric table to help answer the question.

Metric Table
kilo-
hecto-
deka-
unit
deci-
centi-
milli-
1,000
100
10
1
0.1
0.01
0.001
Kasimir should have divided by 10,000.
Kasimir should have multiplied by 100.
Kasimir should have divided by 100,000.
Kasimir should have multiplied by 0.001.

Answer 1

To convert centimeters to kilometers, you need to know the relationship between the units:

1 kilometer = 100,000 centimeters.

So, to convert 34,478 centimeters to kilometers, you should divide by 100,000:

\[
34,478 \, \text{centimeters} \div 100,000 = 0.34478 \, \text{kilometers}
\]

Now, looking at Kasimir's work, he incorrectly multiplied the distance by 1,000, resulting in 34,478,000 kilometers.

The correct statement explaining Kasimir’s error is:

**Kasimir should have divided by 100,000.**