The average newborn weighs 7.5 pounds. About 4.1 x 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. (1 point)

pounds

1 answer

To find the total weight of all the babies born in the U.S. in a year, we can use the formula:

\[ \text{Total Weight} = \text{Average Weight per Baby} \times \text{Number of Babies Born} \]

Given:

  • Average weight of a newborn = 7.5 pounds
  • Number of babies born = \( 4.1 \times 10^6 \) babies

Now, we can calculate the total weight:

\[ \text{Total Weight} = 7.5 , \text{pounds} \times 4.1 \times 10^6 , \text{babies} \]

Calculating this:

\[ 7.5 \times 4.1 = 30.75 \]

Now we incorporate the scientific notation:

\[ \text{Total Weight} = 30.75 \times 10^6 , \text{pounds} \]

To convert \(30.75\) into scientific notation, we rewrite it as \(3.075 \times 10^1\):

Now we adjust the expression:

\[ 30.75 \times 10^6 = 3.075 \times 10^1 \times 10^6 = 3.075 \times 10^{7} \]

So, the total weight of all the babies born in the U.S. in a year is approximately:

\[ \boxed{3.075 \times 10^7} \text{ pounds} \]