Madeline estimated the product of 3.56 and 8.3 below.

Question

(3.56) (8.3) almost-equals 4 times 9 = 36

How does the estimate compare to the exact product?
The estimate is high because both factors are rounded down.
The estimate is low because both factors are rounded down.
The estimate is high because both factors are rounded up.
The estimate is low because both factors are rounded up.

Answer 1

To analyze Madeline's estimation, let's break down the rounding of the factors:

• 3.56 is rounded down to 3 (if rounded to the nearest whole number).
• 8.3 is rounded down to 8 (if rounded to the nearest whole number).

Madeline's estimate is based on these rounded figures: (3.56) (8.3) almost-equals 4 times 9 = 36.

Now let's look at the actual product of 3.56 and 8.3:

3.56 × 8.3 = 29.588.

Now comparing this to the estimate of 36:

• The actual product (29.588) is less than the estimate (36).

Since both factors were rounded down, the estimate is high compared to the actual product.

Therefore, the correct option is: The estimate is high because both factors are rounded down.