Final answer:
The number of significant figures in the result of 8.8 x 10^2 - 7.451 x 10^2 is 2. This is because the least number of decimal places in any term of the expression dictates the number of decimal places in the result, and after subtraction and adjusting for significant figures, we express the result as 1.3 x 10^2.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks for the number of significant figures in the result of the expression 8.8 x 102 - 7.451 x 102. When adding or subtracting numbers, the number of decimal places in the result should be equal to the smallest number of decimal places in any term in the expression. Since 8.8 x 102 has one decimal place and 7.451 x 102 has three decimal places, the result should be expressed with one decimal place. Therefore, we perform the subtraction:
8.8 x 102 - 7.451 x 102 = 1.349 x 102
However, to match the significant figures, we round the result to one decimal place:
1.3 x 102
So, the final answer, limited to the correct number of significant figures, is 1.3 x 102, which means the number of significant figures in the answer is 2 (the '1' and the '3' after the decimal point).