Question

In 2007, the population of North America was approximately 5.15 x 10 ^8 people and the population of South America was approximately 3.04 x 10^8 people. What is the combined population of North and South America for this year?

Answer 1

To find the combined population of North and South America in 2007, we need to add the populations of both continents:

North America population: \(5.15 \times 10^8\)
South America population: \(3.04 \times 10^8\)

Now, we can add these two numbers together:

\[
5.15 \times 10^8 + 3.04 \times 10^8
\]

Since they are both in the same power of ten (\(10^8\)), we can add the coefficients:

\[
(5.15 + 3.04) \times 10^8 = 8.19 \times 10^8
\]

So, the combined population of North and South America in 2007 is approximately:

\[
8.19 \times 10^8 \text{ people}
\]