Hal made an error in the interpretation of the proximity of 82.5 to the squared values in step 4.
In step 3, he correctly calculated that:
- \( 9.08^2 = 82.44 \)
- \( 9.09^2 = 82.62 \)
However, when determining which of these values is closer to 82.5, he stated that 82.5 is closer to 82.62 than to 82.44. This is incorrect. The difference is computed as follows:
- \( 82.5 - 82.44 = 0.06 \)
- \( 82.62 - 82.5 = 0.12 \)
Since 0.06 is less than 0.12, 82.5 is actually closer to 82.44. Therefore, his best approximation should have been 9.08 instead of 9.09.
Thus, the correct answer is: In step 4, he made an error in determining which value is closer to 82.5.