Final answer:
To round 0.058 using the leading digit method to two significant figures, we consider the third digit (8) after the leading zeros. Since it's greater than 5, we round up, but since we already have two significant figures (5 and 8), the number remains 0.058.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asked how to round 0.058 using the leading digit method. To round this number, we need to identify the significant digits following the leading zeros. According to the rule of rounding significant figures, zeros that appear in front of all of the nonzero digits are not significant. Therefore, for the number 0.058, only the digits 5 and 8 are significant.
To round to the nearest significant digit, we look at the number that follows the last significant digit we want to keep. If this number is 5 or higher, we round up. If it is 4 or lower, we round down. In the case of 0.058, if we are rounding to two significant figures, the 8 following the 5 tells us to round up. So, 0.058 rounded to two significant figures is 0.058, as there is no need to change the original number when rounding to two significant figures.