Question

By how μch is the distance between the centers of the spheres less than 1 m? Express your answer to two significant figures and include the appropriate units.

a) 0.75 m
b) 0.50 m
c) 0.25 m
d) 1.00 m

Answer 1

The question cannot be directly answered without further information, but it pertains to expressing a distance to two significant figures. Significant figures reflect the precision of a measurement and affect the reporting of calculated quantities derived from measurements.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks by how much the distance between the centers of the spheres is less than 1 meter, expressing the answer to two significant figures. The choices provided suggest that the distance is somehow less than 1 meter by amounts ranging from 0.25 m to 1.00 m. To answer this, we need additional information such as the radius of the spheres or the distance currently between them. However, we can discuss the concept of significant figures which is relevant to the question.

Significant figures pertain to the precision of a given measurement. According to the example provided, when the radius is known to two significant figures, any calculated quantity derived from this radius must also be expressed to two significant figures. This is the reason why an area calculated from a two significant figure radius would be reported as A = 4.5 m², rather than using more decimal places that the calculator might display.