Final answer:
The question concerns the rounding of measurements, considering the least precise measurement, and maintaining the same level of precision in the final answer to reflect the accuracy of the measuring tool. The concept of degree of accuracy, bounds, and significant figures are highlighted, with the importance of precision when performing measurement conversions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves the concept of degree of accuracy and the rounding of measurements in the context of significant figures in physics or mathematics problems. The statement provided indicates that when weighing items, the degree of accuracy is ±1kg. Using this information, the upper bound (UB) of a 30 kg measurement could be 30.5 kg, and the lower bound (LB) could be 29.5 kg, demonstrating the range in which the actual weight lies due to measurement uncertainty.
In practical scenarios, such as adding masses, it is essential to consider the precision of the measuring instrument. For example, if we add 6.052 kg (with a precision of 0.001 kg) to 13.7 kg (with a precision of 0.1 kg), we should express our final answer with the same precision as the least precise measurement, which in this case is 0.1 kg. Hence, the total mass would be reported as having a weight of 19.8 kg to ensure we do not imply a greater degree of accuracy than our tools can provide.
In addition, understanding the relationship between units, such as knowing that 1 pound-mass (lbm) is equivalent to 0.4539 kg, is crucial for accurate conversions and considering uncertainties in measurements. For instance, a very small uncertainty of 0.0001 kg in the pound-mass unit can be expressed as a percent uncertainty to evaluate the precision of this conversion.