Final answer:
To find the average mass of the penny, add the measured masses (excluding the outlier) and divide by the number of measurements. The average is 9.2948 g, which is then appropriately rounded to 9.295 g based on the level of precision reported in the measurements.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the average mass of the penny based on the given measurements, you would add all the measured masses together and then divide by the number of measurements. Considering the reported data: 9.314 g, 9.215 g, 9.323 g, 8.103 g, 9.278 g, 9.344 g, you exclude the clear outlier which is considerably lower than the others (8.103 g) as it may represent an error or different kind of penny. Adding up the measurements (excluding the potential outlier), you have a total of 9.314 g + 9.215 g + 9.323 g + 9.278 g + 9.344 g = 46.474 g. Then, you divide this sum by the number of measurements (5 in this case, excluding the outlier), resulting in an average mass of 46.474 g / 5 = 9.2948 g. To properly report this average mass with consideration to significant figures, we round it to the nearest thousandths place, since that is the level of precision given in the measurements.
Therefore, the average mass of the penny is approximately 9.295 g.