Final answer:
The problem lacks information to determine the value of 'c' given only 'a' = 12 and 'b' = 14. Proper context or a formula is required to calculate and round 'c' to the nearest tenth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question, "If a = 12 and b = 14, round c to the nearest tenth", requires additional information to solve because the relationship between a, b, and c is not specified. Without knowing how c is calculated from a and b, it is not possible to determine the correct answer. Typically, such problems are related to geometry (like the Pythagorean theorem) or algebra (like the quadratic formula), but without the specific context or formula, we cannot identify which of the given options is correct.
In order to answer the student's question correctly, we would need the complete problem statement. If the problem relates to significant figures, as the provided examples suggest, it is crucial to follow the rules for rounding and use the correct number of significant figures as shown in the examples given, like in the operation 202.88 - 1.013, where the answer was rounded to 201.87 to match the least precise measurement's decimal places.