Final answer:
a) 2.46. To evaluate the expression 23.9 + 1.4^2 x 0.3, follow the order of operations: evaluate the exponent, perform the multiplication, and then add the numbers together. The answer is approximately 24.488.
Step-by-step explanation:
To evaluate the expression 23.9 + 1.4^2 x 0.3, we need to follow the order of operations, which is parentheses, exponents, multiplication/division (from left to right), and addition/subtraction (from left to right).
Step 1: Evaluate the exponent: 1.4^2 = 1.96.
Step 2: Multiply the result from step 1 by 0.3: 1.96 x 0.3 = 0.588.
Step 3: Add 23.9 and the result from step 2: 23.9 + 0.588 = 24.488.
Therefore, the answer is approximately 24.488, which is closest to option a) 2.46.