The answer with the correct number of significant figures to the following calculation: 1.345 * 6.72 + 4.51 is
A)13.5484.
B)13.548.
C)13.55.
D)13.6.
E)14

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The calculation involves both multiplication/division and addition/subtraction. For multiplication/division, the number of significant figures in the result is determined by the original number with the least significant figures. For addition/subtraction, the result should be reported to the least precise decimal place of any number in the operation. Here, 1.345 has 4 significant figures, and 6.72 and 4.51 both have 3 significant figures. The multiplication (1.345 * 10^6.72) doesn't limit the significant figures since 10^6.72 is considered an exact number in this context. However, when adding 4.51 to the result, the final answer should be reported with the same number of decimal places as the least precise measurement, which is 2 decimal places. Therefore, the correct answer is 13.55.

The Answer with the Correct Number of Significant Figures to the Following