Final answer:
To convert the mass from centigrams to kilograms, the value 3.5 × 10⁵ cg should be divided by 100 to convert to grams, and then divided by 1000 to convert to kilograms, resulting in a mass of 3.5 kg.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asked to solve for the mass of a 3.5 × 10⁵ cg sample in units of kilograms.
To convert centigrams (cg) to kilograms (kg), we know that there are 100 centigrams in a gram and 1000 grams in a kilogram. Hence, we need to divide the mass in centigrams by 100 to get grams, and then by 1000 to get kilograms.
Step 1: Start with the given mass in centigrams (cg): 3.5 × 10⁵ cg.
Step 2: Convert centigrams to grams:
3.5 × 10⁵ cg ÷ 100 = 3.5 × 10³ g.
Step 3: Convert grams to kilograms: 3.5 × 10³ g ÷ 1000 = 3.5 kg.
Therefore, the mass of the sample is 3.5 kg, which is option d.