Final answer:
The driver can estimate the total weight of the shipping containers by rounding each weight to the nearest thousand pounds; the weights round to 7,000 lbs, 13,000 lbs, 6,000 lbs, and 10,000 lbs, adding up to a total estimated weight of 36,000 lbs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The driver wants to estimate the total weight of the shipping containers, which have individual weights of 7,432 lbs, 12,550 lbs, 6,123 lbs, and 9,634 lbs. To do this without a calculator, the driver must round each weight to the nearest thousand pounds and then add them together.
Here are the weights rounded to the nearest thousand:
- 7,432 lbs ≈ 7,000 lbs
- 12,550 lbs ≈ 13,000 lbs
- 6,123 lbs ≈ 6,000 lbs
- 9,634 lbs ≈ 10,000 lbs
Adding these rounded weights together:
7,000 lbs + 13,000 lbs + 6,000 lbs + 10,000 lbs = 36,000 lbs
Therefore, the total estimated weight of the shipping containers to the nearest thousand pounds is 36,000 lbs.