Sure, let's work through this question step by step.
### Part a) Estimation
Question: What number close to 278 would you use to estimate [tex]\(278 \div 4\)[/tex]? Why?
A number close to 278 that is easily divisible by 4 is 280. This choice is sensible because:
1. Proximity: 280 is very close to 278.
2. Divisibility: 280 is a multiple of 4, making the division simple and exact.
Thus, we choose 280 because it meets both criteria of being close to 278 and easily divisible by 4.
### Part b) Exact Division
Question: About how many birds were in each small flock?
To find out exactly how many birds were in each small flock, we perform the division [tex]\(278 \div 4\)[/tex].
From our calculations, [tex]\(278 \div 4\)[/tex] equals approximately 69.5. This means there were about 69.5 birds in each flock.
### Summary
a) We used 280, a number close to 278 that is easily divisible by 4, to estimate the division.
b) Upon performing the exact division, we found that there were about 69.5 birds in each flock.
