Certified Medication Aide Practice

When moving from a smaller unit to a larger unit, how should the decimal be adjusted?

1. 1 place to the left

2. 2 places to the left

3. 3 places to the left

4. No adjustment needed

The correct answer is: 3 places to the left

When moving from a smaller unit to a larger unit, the decimal needs to be adjusted by moving it 3 places to the left. This is because when moving from a smaller unit to a larger one, the value of the number increases and therefore, the decimal needs to be moved to the left to show the increase in value. For example, if you were moving from centimeters to meters, each meter is equivalent to 100 centimeters, so the decimal would need to be moved 2 places to the left to show the increase in value. Option A and B are incorrect because they only involve moving the decimal by 1 or 2 places, which would not accurately reflect the increase in value. Option D is incorrect because an adjustment is always needed when moving from a smaller unit to a larger unit.