Rationale
The length of the board in centimeters is 1230 cm.
To convert meters to centimeters, the appropriate conversion factor is 100 cm/1 m. Therefore, the length of the board, when converted from meters to centimeters, is 12.3 m * 100 cm/1 m = 1230 cm.
A) 1230 cm
This is the correct answer. As indicated above, multiplying the length of the board in meters (12.3 m) by the conversion factor of 100 cm/1 m results in a length of 1230 cm.
B) 0.123 cm
This answer would be correct if we were converting meters to kilometers, not centimeters. One meter is equivalent to 0.001 kilometers, so 12.3 m would indeed be 0.0123 km. However, since we're converting to centimeters, this answer is not correct.
C) 12300 cm
This answer would be correct if the original length of the board was 123 m, not 12.3 m. When converting from meters to centimeters, we multiply by 100, so 123 m would indeed be 12300 cm. However, the length of the board is 12.3 m, so this answer is not correct.
D) 12.3 cm
This answer would be correct if the original length of the board was 12.3 cm, not 12.3 m. One meter is equivalent to 100 centimeters, so 12.3 m is much larger than 12.3 cm. Therefore, this answer is not correct.
Conclusion
The length of the board, when converted from meters to centimeters, is 1230 cm. The other options incorrectly apply the conversion factor or assume a different original length for the board. Understanding unit conversion is critical in many fields, including engineering, physics, and everyday life, as it allows us to express measurements in different scales and compare quantities accurately.