Final answer:
The United States' health care spending in 2010 is calculated by multiplying the population, 3.09 x 10^8, with the spending per person, $8754, resulting in approximately 2.705 x 10^12, which in scientific notation is closest to $2.70 x 10^12.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate how much the United States will spend on health care in 2010, we need to multiply the population by the average spending per person. The population is given as 3.09 x 10^8 and the spending per person is $8754. Using scientific notation, this calculation is (3.09 x 10^8) * (8.754 x 10^3). When multiplying numbers in scientific notation, you multiply the base numbers (3.09 * 8.754) to get approximately 27.05, and then add the exponents (8 + 3) for a result of 10^11. Therefore, the total spending is roughly 27.05 x 10^11. However, since we usually have the coefficient between 1 and 10 in scientific notation, we adjust this to 2.705 x 10^12. When looking at the options given, C) About $2.70 x 10^12 is the closest to our calculated amount.