Final answer:
The number of cycles executed by a 4 GHz processor with an average CPI of 1.5, running a program for 10 seconds, is 60 billion cycles. This is obtained by multiplying the clock rate, execution time, and CPI, without the need for further rounding.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is 60 billion cycles. First, we need to calculate the total number of seconds for which the program ran. Given that the program executes in 10 seconds and the processor speed is 4 GHz, which is equivalent to 4 billion cycles per second, we can find the total cycles by multiplying these two. However, we must also take into account the average cycles per instruction (CPI), which is 1.5 in this case. So, the formula to calculate the total number of cycles is:
Cycles = Clock Rate (in cycles/second) × Execution Time (in seconds) × Average CPI
Plugging in the values:
Cycles = 4,000,000,000 cycles/second × 10 seconds × 1.5 = 60,000,000,000 cycles
Therefore, when we round this to three decimal places, as the question directs, it remains 60 billion cycles since it's a whole number within the precision range provided.