1. **State the problem:** Max rounded each number to 1 significant figure and multiplied 20 by 500 to get 10,000. We want to find the smallest possible product of the original numbers before rounding. 2. **Understanding rounding to 1 significant figure:** - 20 rounded to 1 significant figure means the original number is between 15 and 24.999... because numbers from 15 to 24.999... round to 20. - 500 rounded to 1 significant figure means the original number is between 450 and 549.999... because numbers from 450 to 549.999... round to 500. 3. **Find the smallest possible product:** - To minimize the product, choose the smallest numbers in each range: - Smallest number rounding to 20 is 15. - Smallest number rounding to 500 is 450. 4. **Calculate the smallest product:** $$15 \times 450 = 6750$$ 5. **Conclusion:** The smallest possible answer to the original multiplication before rounding is **6750**.