3. Researchers counted 8,912 monarch butterflies on one branch of a tree at a site in Mexico. They estimated that the total number of butterflies at the site was 1000 times as large. About how many butterflies were at the site in all? Explain your thinking and include a statement of the solution.

To find the total number of butterflies estimated at the site, we can multiply the number of butterflies counted on the branch by the estimated factor. So, if they counted 8,912 butterflies on one branch and estimated the total to be 1,000 times that, we perform the multiplication: 8,912 butterflies x 1,000 = 8,912,000 butterflies. Therefore, the estimated total number of butterflies at the site is approximately 8,912,000. In conclusion, if researchers counted 8,912 monarch butterflies on one branch, they estimated that there are about 8,912,000 butterflies in total at the site.