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population per square kilometer is defined as total population / total area

\(\frac{population}{sq.km}\) = \(\frac{120256000}{2998000}\)

= \(\frac{120000000}{3000000}\)

= 40

Correct Answer - D


P.S. - population per square kilometer can also be defined as population density
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SajjadAhmad
Source: GMAT Quant CAT

If the population of a certain country is 120,256,000 and its land area is 2,998,000
square kilometers, then the population per square kilometer is closest to which of the
following?

A. 4
B. 6
C. 20
D. 40
E. 60
The question uses "closest to" and the answer choices' values are wide apart (except A and B**).

So I rounded numbers and used scientific notation to avoid complex long division.

\(\frac{120 * 10^6}{3 * 10^6}\) =

\(40 * 10^{6-6}\) =

\(40 * 10^0\), or \(40 * 1 =\)

\(40\)

Answer D

**Even 4 and 6 are far apart with this dividend and divisor. 256,000 is ~\(\frac{1}{4}\) of one million. It has negligible effect when dealing, as here, with more than 100 million.
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120,256/2,998 = ~ 120,000/3,000 = 120/3 = 40. Ans - D.
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Sajjad1994
If the population of a certain country is 120,256,000 and its land area is 2,998,000 square kilometers, then the population per square kilometer is closest to which of the following?

A. 4
B. 6
C. 20
D. 40
E. 60


\(\frac{120,256,000}{2,998,000}\)

\(=\frac{120,000,000}{3,000,000}\)

\(=40\)

The answer is \(D\)
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Take approximate of the values:

\(\frac{120000000}{3000000}=\frac{120}{3}=40\)

Answer D
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\(\frac{population}{km^2}\) = \(\frac{120256000}{2998000} \)= 40.11
Ans=D
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Sajjad1994
If the population of a certain country is 120,256,000 and its land area is 2,998,000 square kilometers, then the population per square kilometer is closest to which of the following?

A. 4
B. 6
C. 20
D. 40
E. 60

Source: GMAT Quant CAT
Difficulty Level: 550

STRATEGY: This question is a great example of why we should always check the answer choices before committing to a specific solution method (see the video below for more on this).
When we check the answers choices, we see that they are quite spread apart (relatively speaking), which means we can use approximate values to determine the correct answer.


Population per square kilometer = (total population)/(total area in square kilometers)
= 120,256,000/2,998,000
≈ 120,000,000/3,000,000
≈ 120/3
≈ 40

Answer: D

RELATED VIDEO
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