Mikayla evaluated the expression 0.86 times 23.4 using the steps shown below.

Question

0.86 times 23.4 = 344. 344 + 2580 + 17200 = 201.24

Which best explains Mikayla’s error?
Mikayla added the whole numbers incorrectly.
Mikayla multiplied the whole numbers incorrectly.
Mikayla moved the decimal incorrectly.
Mikayla’s answer should have been a whole number.

Answer 1

The best explanation for Mikayla’s error is: Mikayla moved the decimal incorrectly.

When she calculated \(0.86 \times 23.4\), it seems she arrived at an incorrect product of whole numbers (344) and then incorrectly summed whole numbers together without properly considering the decimal placement. The final result of 201.24 suggests that she misaligned the decimal point during the calculation.