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Topic: Significant Figures  (Read 3603 times)

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Offline is3zzz

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Significant Figures
« on: September 22, 2007, 04:04:43 PM »
An inch is defined as exactly 2.54 cm.  How many cm in 964.307 inches?
MUST BE TO THE EXACT SIG FIGS
*Answer cannot be in scientific notation

My attempt:
964.307 inches x 2.54cm/in = 2450 cm

However 2450 is not correct. Maybe my sig figs are wrong, but I thought when you multiply the one with the fewest sig figs are obtained... Does anyone know what my error is?  :-\

Offline Yggdrasil

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Re: Significant Figures
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2007, 04:27:35 PM »
Since one inch is exactly 2.54 cm, this number has an infinite amount of sig figs.

Offline macman104

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Re: Significant Figures
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2007, 04:28:58 PM »
You are correct that when you multiply the one with the fewest sig fis is used.  However, the key phrase in this problem is "defined as exactly".  That means, 1 inch = 2.54 cm, is not an estimate, but an exact property.  Because of that, it is considered to have infinite sig figs, so your limiting value is the 964.307

Offline Haunted Chmist

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Re: Significant Figures
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2007, 08:52:31 PM »
I do believe, if I and my knowledge are not wrong, to write it in the significant figures, you could write it this way: 2450.00 cm. That comes to 6 sig. figs. and thats how many are in question value: 964.307 in.

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