What is the Roman numeral representation of the number 98?

The correct representation of the number 98 in Roman numerals is XCVIII. To break this down, Roman numerals are constructed using combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet: I, V, X, L, C, D, and M.

For the number 98, it can be segmented into two parts: the value of 90 and the value of 8. In Roman numerals, 90 is represented as XC. This is derived from the rule that placing a smaller numeral before a larger numeral indicates subtraction; here, X (10) before C (100) indicates 100 - 10, which equals 90. The number 8 is represented as VIII, which is formed from adding up 5 (V) and 3 I's.

Combining both parts, 90 (XC) and 8 (VIII), gives XCVIII for 98. Each of the other options represents different numbers: XCVI stands for 96, XCVII stands for 97, and XCI stands for 91, demonstrating that understanding how Roman numerals work in terms of addition and subtraction is crucial for converting Arabic numbers into their Roman counterparts accurately.