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The length of rod is exactly 1 cm. An observer records the reading as 1.0 CM, 1.00 CM, and 1.000 CM which is the most accurate measurement?​

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Final answer:

The most accurate measurement is 1.000 CM because it has the highest number of decimal places, indicating a higher degree of precision and more significant figures which reflect the capability of the measuring device.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most accurate measurement of the length of a rod from the options given, namely 1.0 CM, 1.00 CM, and 1.000 CM, would be the one with the highest number of decimal places - in this case, the measurement recorded as 1.000 CM. Accuracy in measurements is directly related to the precision of the measuring device and the number of significant digits it can report. The more decimal places a measurement has, the more precise it's considered to be; this implies that the one recorded with more decimal places provides a more precise measurement of the length of the rod.

Using a ruler or measuring stick that has finer markings allows for more precise measurements. For example, if a ruler has millimeter marks (each millimeter being one-tenth of a centimeter), then this ruler can make measurements to the nearest millimeter (or to the hundredth of a centimeter). However, if the ruler only has centimeter markings, the smallest length it could report accurately is to the nearest centimeter, hence less precise than millimeter markings.

When one considers significant figures, which are the digits in a measurement that carry meaning regarding its precision, measurements with more significant figures, such as 1.000 cm, indicate a higher degree of precision compared to those with fewer significant figures, like 1.0 cm. Therefore, the observer has recorded the most accurate measurement when they wrote down the length as 1.000 CM.

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