Question

Andrea's family stopped at the gas station to get gas. The price of gas per gallon was rounded to the nearest hundredth, which was $2.50. Which of the following prices could have been the original gas price?

a. $2.505
b. $2.509
c. $2.498
d. $2.493

Answer 1

The possible original gas prices that could round to $2.50 are $2.498 and $2.493, as they are within the range that rounds to $2.50 when applying standard rounding rules to the nearest hundredth.

Step-by-step explanation:

The original gas price before being rounded to the nearest hundredth ($2.50) could have been any amount that, when rounded, would result in $2.50. When rounding to the nearest hundredth, if the third digit after the decimal is less than 5, you round down, and if it's 5 or greater, you round up. Therefore, the possible original gas prices that would round to $2.50 would be those greater than or equal to $2.495 but less than $2.505.

Looking at the options provided, $2.498 and $2.493 are both valid because they would round down to $2.50 and up to $2.50, respectively, whereas $2.505 would round up to $2.51 and $2.509 would also round to $2.51. Hence, the possible original prices are $2.498 and $2.493.

Answer 2

The most likely original gas price per gallon before rounding to $2.50 is $2.498, as it is within the range that rounds down to $2.50 and is closer than $2.493, which also rounds to $2.50.

Step-by-step explanation:

The original gas price per gallon that Andrea's family could have encountered before rounding to the nearest hundredth ($2.50) could have been a price between $2.495 and $2.504, as these prices would round to $2.50. The options provided are:

• $2.505
• $2.509
• $2.498
• $2.493

Out of these options, $2.498 and $2.493 could round to $2.50, but $2.498 is the closest to $2.50 without going over, making it the most plausible original price before rounding. The other values would either round up to $2.51 ($2.505 and $2.509) or are less closer to the rounded price ($2.493).Round up if the digit you are rounding is followed by a 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. For example, 48 rounded to the nearest ten is 50.

Round down if the digit you are rounding is followed by a 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4. For example, 23 rounded to the nearest 10 is 20.