Question

Calculate the answer to the correct number of significant digits for -3.22 times 5.1. Remember, not every digit the calculator gives is a significant digit. Only give the significant digits.

Answer 1

To provide the product of -3.22 times 5.1 with the correct number of significant digits (-16.422 rounded to three significant figures), the answer is -16.4.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the product of -3.22 times 5.1 with the correct number of significant digits, we first perform the multiplication as follows:

-3.22 × 5.1 = -16.422

Next, we determine the number of significant digits that should be in the answer by looking at the numbers we started with. The smallest number of significant digits in any of the original numbers is three (-3.22 has three significant digits, and so does 5.1). Thus, our final answer should also have three significant digits.

To round to three significant figures, we look at the fourth digit (the '2' after the '4'), which is less than 5. So, we leave the '4' as it is and drop the rest of the digits. Our answer, rounded to three significant digits, is -16.4.