Final answer:
To perform the addition, first convert 55.040mm to 5.504cm, then add all the lengths in cm to get 61.582cm. Round this sum to two decimal places due to the decimal precision of the added numbers, resulting in 61.58 cm.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the given value with the appropriate significant figures, first ensure all measurements are in the same unit. In this case, we need to convert millimeters to centimeters.
55.040mm = 5.504cm (since 1cm = 10mm)
Now add the centimeters:
22.033cm + 34.045cm + 5.504cm = 61.582cm
When adding or subtracting, the result should have the same number of decimal places as the measurement with the least number of decimal places, which in this case is two. Therefore, we round the result to two decimal places:
The sum is 61.58 cm when rounded to two decimal places.
For multiplication and division, the number of significant figures in the result is determined by the measurement with the least number of significant figures. As shown:
- 0.6238 cm x 6.6 cm = 4.11708 cm²
- Rounded to two significant figures, the result is 4.1 cm².
Samples calculations that illustrate the use of significant figures can be found in these examples:
- For 0.048 m x 32.97 m, round to two significant figures because 0.048 has two, resulting in 1.6 m².
- For 56.7 x 66.99, multiply and round off the result to maintain the same number of significant figures as the number with the least, giving us 77.0.
Note that rounding should occur at the end of the calculation to minimize numerical error and to ensure accuracy.