Rationale
9.992 could be the number that is rounded to the nearest hundredth as 9.99.
When rounding to the nearest hundredth, the number is approximated to the closest hundredth value. The third digit after the decimal point, if it is 5 or above, will cause the second digit to round up. If it is less than 5, the second digit remains the same.
A) 9.845
When rounded to the nearest hundredth, 9.845 becomes 9.85. The third digit after the decimal point is 5, which causes the second digit to round up from 4 to 5. Therefore, 9.845 cannot be rounded to 9.99.
B) 9.983
Rounding 9.983 to the nearest hundredth results in 9.98. The third digit after the decimal point is 3, which is less than 5, so the second digit remains 8. As such, 9.983 cannot be the number that rounds to 9.99.
C) 9.992
When rounded to the nearest hundredth, 9.992 becomes 9.99. The third digit after the decimal point is 2, which is less than 5, so the second digit (9) remains the same. Therefore, 9.992 could be the number that rounds to 9.99.
D) 9.998
Rounding 9.998 to the nearest hundredth results in 10.00. The third digit after the decimal point is 8, which causes the second digit to round up from 9 to 10. Hence, 9.998 cannot be the number that rounds to 9.99.
Conclusion
Rounding to the nearest hundredth involves looking at the third digit after the decimal point. If this digit is 5 or above, the second digit increases by one, otherwise, it stays the same. Thus, only 9.992 could be the number that, when rounded to the nearest hundredth, becomes 9.99. The other options either increase to 10.00 or decrease to 9.85 or 9.98 when rounded to the nearest hundredth.