Page 316 - Basic College Mathematics with Early Integers

S E C T I O N 4.2 I ADDING AND SUBTRACTING DECIMALS 293

Solution:

1. UNDERSTAND. Read and reread the problem. The phrase “total monthly
cost” tells us to add.
2. TRANSLATE.

total
In words: monthly is car plus insurance plus gasoline
payment cost bill
cost

T T T T T T T
total
Translate: monthly = $256.63 + $47.52 + $95.33
cost
3. SOLVE: Let’s also estimate by rounding each number to the nearest ten.
11 1
2 56.63 rounds to 260
47.52 rounds to 50
+ 95.33 rounds to 100
$399.48 Exact 410 Estimate

4. INTERPRET. Check your work. Since our estimate is close to our exact
answer, our answer is reasonable. State your conclusion:The total monthly cost
is $399.48.
Work Practice 12

The next bar graph has horizontal bars. To visualize the value represented by a
bar, see how far it extends to the right. For this horizontal bar graph, the value of
each bar is labeled.We will study bar graphs further in a later chapter.

Example 13 Comparing Average Heights PRACTICE 13
Use the bar graph in
The bar graph shows the current average heights for adults in various countries. Example 13. How much greater
How much greater is the average height in Denmark than the average height is the average height in the
in the United States? Netherlands than the average
height in Czechoslovakia?
Average Adult Height

Netherlands 72.6 inches
Denmark 72.2 inches
Norway 71.9 inches
Sweden 71.8 inches
Germany 71.6 inches
USA 70.8 inches
Czechoslovakia 1 70.8 inches
0 * 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75
1 Average for Czech Republic, Slovakia
Source: USA Today
* The means that some numbers are purposefully missing on the axis.

Answer
Continued on next page 13. 1.8 in.