Let's analyze the table and the information given.
1. The table is titled "Population Comparison: China and India". This suggests that it is meant to compare the populations of the two countries.
2. The table has two columns for population data:
- "Population (est. 2010)": This shows the estimated population of China and India in the year 2010.
- "Population (est. by 2050)": This shows the estimated population of the same countries by the year 2050.
3. The population data for China and India are as follows:
- In 2010, China's population was approximately 1,338,000,000 and India's was approximately 1,189,000,000.
- By 2050, China's population is estimated to be approximately 1,437,000,000 and India's is estimated to be approximately 1,748,000,000.
Given this information, let's evaluate the given options to determine the purpose of the table:
- Option 1: To predict the future populations of China and India
- This option is plausible because the table provides estimated population figures for the year 2050, indicating a prediction about future populations.
- Option 2: To present the populations of China and India when they were established
- This option does not align with the data provided. The table mentions estimates for the years 2010 and 2050, which are not related to when the countries were established.
- Option 3: To compare a country with a large population to a country with a small one
- While the table does provide a comparison between China and India, both countries have very large populations. The purpose does not seem to be comparing a country with a large population to one with a small population.
Based on the analysis, the most appropriate purpose of the table is:
To predict the future populations of China and India.
