Final answer:
To round 653,500 to the nearest thousand, consider the hundreds digit, which is 5. According to rounding rules, this means we increase the thousands digit by one, resulting in a rounded figure of 654,000.
Step-by-step explanation:
To round 653,500 to the nearest thousand, we need to consider the hundreds place of the number, as this will determine how the rounding is done. The general rule for rounding is that if the largest digit dropped is 5 or more, then the smallest digit retained is increased by one.
Looking at 653,500, the hundreds digit is 5. According to the rules of rounding, since this digit is 5, we would round up the thousands place. Therefore, we would change the thousands digit from a 3 to a 4, resulting in the number 654,000 when rounded to the nearest thousand.
In this case, when rounding 653,500 to the nearest thousand, the correct answer after rounding is 654,000.