Questions: The population of Williamstown is 9 times 10^6 people. The population of Smithville 3 times 10^5 people. How many times larger is Williamstown than Smithville?
3
30
300
3000
Transcript text: 3.2.9 Check Your Understanding
The population of Williamstown is $9 \times 10^{6}$ people. The population of Smithville $3 \times 10^{5}$ people. How many times larger is Williamstown than Smithville?
3
30
300
3000
Previous
Solution
Solution Steps
To determine how many times larger the population of Williamstown is compared to Smithville, we need to divide the population of Williamstown by the population of Smithville. This will give us the factor by which Williamstown's population is larger.
Step 1: Define the Populations
Let the population of Williamstown be represented as \( P_W = 9 \times 10^6 = 9000000 \) and the population of Smithville as \( P_S = 3 \times 10^5 = 300000 \).
Step 2: Calculate the Ratio
To find how many times larger the population of Williamstown is compared to Smithville, we calculate the ratio:
\[
\text{Ratio} = \frac{P_W}{P_S} = \frac{9000000}{300000}
\]
Step 3: Simplify the Ratio
Calculating the ratio gives:
\[
\text{Ratio} = 30.0
\]
Final Answer
The population of Williamstown is \( \boxed{30} \) times larger than that of Smithville.