Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 2: Problem 169

True or false? If any statement is false, rewrite it to make it true. (a) When multiplying or dividing a series of measured values, the number of significant figures in the answer is determined by the measured value having the fewest significant figures. (b) When adding or subtracting a series of measured values, the number of significant figures in the answer is determined by the measured value having the fewest significant figures.

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) True. (b) False. Corrected statement: "When adding or subtracting a series of measured values, the number of decimal places in the answer is determined by the measured value having the fewest decimal places."

Step by step solution

01

(a) Analyzing Statement a

Let's first analyze the statement regarding multiplying or dividing a series of measured values: "When multiplying or dividing a series of measured values, the number of significant figures in the answer is determined by the measured value having the fewest significant figures." This statement is true. When we multiply or divide measurements, the final answer should have the same number of significant figures as the measurement with the smallest number of significant figures. Therefore, this statement is correct.
02

(b) Analyzing Statement b

Now we will analyze the statement regarding adding or subtracting a series of measured values: "When adding or subtracting a series of measured values, the number of significant figures in the answer is determined by the measured value having the fewest significant figures." This statement is false. When we add or subtract measurements, the final answer should have the same number of decimal places as the measurement with the smallest number of decimal places. The rule stated in the exercise is for multiplication and division, not for addition and subtraction.
03

(b) Rewriting Statement b

Since Statement b is false, we will rewrite it correctly: "When adding or subtracting a series of measured values, the number of decimal places in the answer is determined by the measured value having the fewest decimal places." Now, both statements are correct: (a) When multiplying or dividing a series of measured values, the number of significant figures in the answer is determined by the measured value having the fewest significant figures. (b) When adding or subtracting a series of measured values, the number of decimal places in the answer is determined by the measured value having the fewest decimal places.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

For solids, the amount of material per unit volume is often expressed in grams per milliliter, whereas for gases the amount of material per unit volume is usually expressed in grams per liter. If the amount of matter in air is \(1.34 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{L}\), what is this value in: (a) \(\mathrm{g} / \mathrm{mL}\) (b) \(\mathrm{kg} / \mathrm{L}\) (c) \(\mathrm{kg} / \mathrm{mL}\) ?

How many joules of heat energy would it take to raise the temperature of \(2.00\) pounds of iron from \(30.0^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) to \(90.0^{\circ} \mathrm{C} ?[453.6 \mathrm{~g}=1\) pound \(]\)

Indicate the correct number of significant figures for each answer, given that all values are measurements: (a) \(\left(6.350 \times 10^{-8}\right) \times(0.0080)\) (b) \(\left(5.30 \times 10^{2}\right)+\left(22.1 \times 10^{2}\right)\) (c) \(\left(5.830 \times 10^{2}\right)+\left(22.100 \times 10^{2}\right)\) (d) \(\frac{100.0 \times 0.1500}{58.443}\) (e) \(\frac{100.0 \times 0.15}{58.4}\)

A student measures the mass of an object three times and reports the numeric average of her measurements. If her three measurements are \(212 \mathrm{~g}\), \(260 \mathrm{~g}\), and \(233 \mathrm{~g}\) and the actual mass is \(235 \mathrm{~g}\), which of the following statements is true: (a) The student is accurate but not precise. (b) The student is precise but not accurate. (c) The student is both accurate and precise. (d) It is impossible to tell whether the student is accurate and \(/\) or precise without knowing how she determined the mass.

How cold does it have to be for water to freeze in \({ }^{\circ} \mathrm{F}\) ? In \({ }^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) ? In kelvins?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation

The Earths Atmosphere

Read Explanation

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation

Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Read Explanation

Nuclear Chemistry

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free