The question asks: Change 27 into Roman numerals. The available options are: A. XXVII, B. LXXIV, C. XXIX, D. XXVIII.
The correct answer is A. XXVII. The number 27 breaks down into 20 + 5 + 2, which corresponds to XX + V + II in the Roman numeral system, giving us XXVII.
How Roman Numerals Work
Roman numerals use seven basic symbols, each representing a fixed value: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1000. To build any number, you combine these symbols following two rules:
- Additive rule: Place a smaller or equal symbol after a larger one and add their values. For example, VI = 5 + 1 = 6.
- Subtractive rule: Place a smaller symbol before a larger one and subtract. For example, IV = 5 − 1 = 4, or IX = 10 − 1 = 9.
For 27, no subtraction is needed. The number decomposes cleanly into its place-value components: 20 (XX) + 5 (V) + 2 (II) = XXVII. Each piece maps directly to a Roman numeral symbol — two X’s for twenty, one V for five, and two I’s for two.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B — LXXIV: This represents 70 + 3 + 1 = 74. The L stands for 50, so LXX = 50 + 20 = 70, and IV = 4. That is far larger than 27. This is the most misleading distractor because it still uses X, V, and I symbols, which might confuse someone who recognizes the individual letters but does not calculate the total.
Option C — XXIX: This equals 20 + 9 = 29. The IX part uses the subtractive rule (10 − 1 = 9). At first glance XXIX looks very close to XXVII because both start with XX, but the endings differ: XXII (two + two) versus XXIX (two + nine). This is the most likely option to trap someone who knows the general pattern but miscounts by two.
Option D — XXVIII: This equals 20 + 8 = 28, just one more than 27. The VIII part means 5 + 3 = 8. Again, it begins with XX like the correct answer, making it easy to pick by mistake if you are not careful with the final digits.
Mnemonic for Quick Identification
Here is a short sequence that helps with numbers in this range:
- XXV = 25 (XX + V)
- XXVI = 26
- XXVII = 27 ← the answer
- XXVIII = 28
- XXIX = 29
- XXX = 30
Notice the pattern: after XX (20), the Roman numerals count up using V and I symbols the same way we count with digits. XXV is 25, and you simply add I’s for 26, 27, 28 — then switch to IX for 29 before reaching XXX at 30. When you see a multiple-choice question like this, locate the correct range first (the XX prefix means the twenties) and then count the final symbols carefully.
