Final answer:
The density of an object with a mass of 5.03 grams and a volume of 10.0 mL is 0.503 grams/mL, rounded to three significant figures to match the precision of the measurements.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the density of an object, you divide the mass of the object by its volume. The mass given is 5.03 grams, and the volume is 10.0 mL. Using the formula density = mass/volume:
Density = 5.03 g / 10.0 mL = 0.503 g/mL
However, when reporting the density to the correct precision, we must consider significant figures. The mass measurement has four significant figures (5.03) and the volume measurement has three significant figures (10.0). Since we must round to the least number of significant figures, and the volume has only three significant figures, the density should also be reported with three significant figures. As a result, the correct density is 0.503 grams/mL.