Ken has 7 baseballs. Each baseball weighs 0.3 pound . Ken wants to use this model to find the total weight of the baseballs. Each hundredths block in the model represents 1 whole .
The correct answer and explanation is:
To find the total weight of the 7 baseballs, Ken can multiply the weight of one baseball by the number of baseballs: 7×0.3=2.1 pounds7 \times 0.3 = 2.1 \text{ pounds}
So, the total weight of the baseballs is 2.1 pounds.
Explanation (Approximately 300 Words):
Ken has 7 baseballs, and each weighs 0.3 pound. To find the total weight, we multiply the number of baseballs (7) by the weight of one baseball (0.3): 7×0.3=2.17 \times 0.3 = 2.1
This means the combined weight of all 7 baseballs is 2.1 pounds.
Now, let’s understand how this relates to the model Ken uses. The model described uses hundredths blocks, where each block represents 1 whole. This part can be confusing, so let’s break it down.
A hundredths block is often used in base-10 models to represent decimals. Typically, a full flat made up of 100 small squares (each one-hundredth) is used to show one whole. However, in this case, it says “each hundredths block represents 1 whole”, which likely means that the model Ken is using interprets 1 full block as 1 pound.
So if Ken’s total comes to 2.1 pounds, that would mean:
- 2 full blocks to represent the 2 whole pounds, and
- 0.1 (or 1/10 of a block) to represent the 0.1 pound.
Even though each baseball only weighs 0.3 pound, multiplying that by 7 gives Ken a total that includes both whole pounds and a decimal part (a fraction of a pound).
This model helps Ken visualize the weight using blocks: he can count 2 full blocks and then estimate a smaller part of another block to represent 0.1. It’s a visual way of understanding multiplication and decimals, especially for learners who benefit from seeing quantities in block form.