Question

Give the correct notation for the quantity described and give its value. Proportion of families in the US who were homeless in 2010 . The number of homeless families \(^{5}\) in 2010 was about 170,000 while the total number of families is given in the 2010 Census as 78 million.

Short answer

The notation for the quantity described is \(P = \frac{170000}{78000000}\) and its value is approximately 0.00218.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the definition of proportion

Proportion is a type of ratio that compares a part to a whole. It is a relational value that shows how the number of specific instances (in this case, the number of homeless families) relates to the total number of instances (total number of families). In mathematical terms, the proportion can be expressed as: Proportion = (Part/Whole)

Conversion of millions to actual numbers

To have a consistent unit for the calculation, we need to convert 78 million families to its numerical equivalent. One million is equal to \(10^6\), so 78 million is equal to \(78 \times 10^6\) = 78,000,000

Calculation of the Proportion

Now we calculate the proportion of homeless families to the total families: Proportion = (170,000/78,000,000)