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Chapter 1: Problem 27

What is the number of significant figures in each of these measured quantities? (a) 4867 miles, (b) \(56 \mathrm{~mL}\) (c) 60,104 tons, (d) \(2900 \mathrm{~g}\).

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) 4867 miles has 4 significant figures. (b) 56 mL has 2 significant figures. (c) 60,104 tons has 5 significant figures. (d) 2900 g has 2 significant figures.

Step by step solution

01

Analyzing significant figures

The first step is to understand the rules for significant figures: Any non-zero digit is a significant figure. Any zero between two significant figures becomes significant. The left most zeroes appearing in front of non-zero digits are not significant. Zeroes at the end or right of a number are only significant if the number contains a decimal point.
02

Apply rule to each measured quantity

(a) For 4867 miles, all are non-zero digits, so all are significant. It has 4 significant figures. (b) For 56 mL, both are non-zero and hence significant. It has 2 significant figures. (c) For 60,104 tons, zeros between two non-zero digits are significant, so it has 5 significant figures. (d) For 2900 g, zeros to the right of the number without a decimal point are not significant, so it has 2 significant figures.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Calculate the mass of each of these: (a) a sphere of gold of radius \(10.0 \mathrm{~cm}\) [the volume of a sphere of radius \(r\) is \(V=\left(\frac{4}{3}\right) \pi r^{3} ;\) the density of gold \(\left.=19.3 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3}\right]\) (b) a cube of platinum of edge length \(0.040 \mathrm{~mm}\) (the density of platinum \(\left.=21.4 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3}\right),\) (c) \(50.0 \mathrm{~mL}\) of ethanol (the density of ethanol \(=0.798 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{mL})\)

Which of these properties are intensive and which are extensive? (a) length, (b) volume, (c) temperature, (d) mass.

A chemist in the nineteenth century prepared an unknown substance. In general, do you think it would be more difficult to prove that it is an element or a compound? Explain.

What is the number of significant figures in each of these measured quantities? (a) \(40.2 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3}\), (b) \(0.0000003 \mathrm{~cm}\) (c) \(70 \mathrm{~min}\) (d) \(4.6 \times 10^{19}\) atoms.

Carry out these conversions: (a) 242 lb to milligrams, (b) \(68.3 \mathrm{~cm}^{3}\) to cubic meters.
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