To find the total area of the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic Ocean combined, we need to follow these steps:
1. Identify the given areas:
- Area of the Mediterranean: \( 2.967 \times 10^6 \, \text{km}^2 \)
- Area of the North Atlantic Ocean: \( 4.149 \times 10^7 \, \text{km}^2 \)
2. Add these areas together:
- When adding numbers in scientific notation, make sure they are added directly if they have the same exponent. Here, we first express them without exponents for clarity:
[tex]\[
2.967 \times 10^6 = 2,967,000 \, \text{km}^2
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
4.149 \times 10^7 = 41,490,000 \, \text{km}^2
\][/tex]
- Add these two values:
[tex]\[
2,967,000 + 41,490,000 = 44,457,000 \, \text{km}^2
\][/tex]
3. Convert the sum back to scientific notation:
- The sum \( 44,457,000 \, \text{km}^2 \) can be written in scientific notation as:
[tex]\[
4.4457 \times 10^7 \, \text{km}^2
\][/tex]
4. Ensure the correct number of significant digits:
- The final result has been expressed with four significant digits: \( 4.4457 \times 10^7 \, \text{km}^2 \).
Therefore, the total area of the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic Ocean combined, expressed in scientific notation with the correct number of significant digits, is:
[tex]\[
4.4457 \times 10^7 \, \text{km}^2
\][/tex]
Thus, the correct answer is:
[tex]\[
\boxed{4.4457 \times 10^7 \, \text{km}^2}
\][/tex]
