Luke and Charlie solved the problem 893.7 ÷ 100. Luke said the answer should be 89,370 and Charlie said it should be 8.937. Who is correct and why? You must explain your answer to get full credit.(2 points)

Answer 1

To determine who is correct between Luke and Charlie regarding the division problem 893.7 ÷ 100, let's perform the calculation step by step.

When dividing 893.7 by 100, we are essentially shifting the decimal point two places to the left. This is because dividing by 100 is the same as reducing the number by a factor of 100.

1. Starting with the number 893.7:
   • Move the decimal point two places to the left.
   • Moving the decimal one place gives you 89.37, and moving it a second place gives you 8.937.

So, performing the division: \[ 893.7 ÷ 100 = 8.937 \]

Charlie stated that the answer should be 8.937, which is correct.

In contrast, Luke stated that the answer should be 89,370, which is incorrect and stems from a misunderstanding of the operation. Instead of dividing by 100, he appears to have multiplied by 100.

Therefore, Charlie is correct, and the answer is 8.937 because dividing by 100 moves the decimal point two places to the left in the original number.