Final answer:
The range of diopters needed after a LASIK procedure that reduces eye power by 9.00 D with a ±5.0% uncertainty is from 8.55 D to 9.45 D. The patient was nearsighted before the procedure, as the treatment involved reducing the eye's optical power.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regarding the range of diopters a patient might need after LASIK, if the procedure reduced the eye's power by 9.00 D with a ±5.0% uncertainty, we calculate the possible range. The uncertainty in diopters is 9.00 D × 5.0%, which equals 0.45 D. Therefore, the range of corrections could be from 8.55 D to 9.45 D after the procedure.
As for whether the person was nearsighted or farsighted before the procedure, the given information states that this patient's eye power was reduced by 9.00 D. Since nearsightedness (myopia) requires a reduction in the optical power of the eye to correct the focus, we know that the patient was nearsighted before the LASIK procedure.