Question: Of the following, which is the best approximation of $$\sqrt{1.5}(266)^{3/2}$$
$$(A)~1,000~~~~(B)~2,700~~~~(C)~3,200~~~~(D)~4,100~~~~(E)~5,300$$
I used $1.5\approx1.44=1.2^2$ and $266\approx256=16^2$. Therefore the approximation by me is $4096$, so I chose $(D)$ which is wrong. The correct answer is $(E)$.
How should I find it out?
$$\sqrt{1.5}\cdot266^{3/2}\approx1.2 \times 16^3 = 4915.2$$
The closest answer is (E) 5300. Great intuition on how to find simple approximations, but you forgot to multiply by $1.2$! Also note that $1.44<1.5$ and $256<266$, so you know the true answer must be above the discovered approximation, leaving only the last answer.