To approximate the area of a circle given the radius, we can use the formula:
[tex]\[ A = \pi r^2 \][/tex]
Where [tex]\( A \)[/tex] is the area, [tex]\( \pi \)[/tex] is a constant approximately equal to 3.14, and [tex]\( r \)[/tex] is the radius of the circle.
Given:
[tex]\[ r = 1.2 \, \text{meters} \][/tex]
We substitute the given radius and the approximation for [tex]\( \pi \)[/tex] into the formula:
[tex]\[ A = 3.14 \times (1.2)^2 \][/tex]
First, we calculate [tex]\( (1.2)^2 \)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ (1.2)^2 = 1.44 \][/tex]
Next, we multiply this result by 3.14:
[tex]\[ A = 3.14 \times 1.44 \][/tex]
Performing the multiplication:
[tex]\[ A = 4.5216 \, \text{square meters} \][/tex]
Now, we need to round this result to the tenths place. The digit in the hundredths place (2 in this case) is less than 5, so we round down:
[tex]\[ A \approx 4.5 \, \text{square meters} \][/tex]
Therefore, the approximate area of the circle is 4.5 square meters when rounded to the tenths place.