Question

You are asked to find the volume of a cube that is 2.5 cm high, 2.65 cm wide, and 3.456 cm long. How many significant figures should you show in your answer?

1) 4
2) 9
3) 2
4) 3

Answer 1

The correct number of significant figures in the volume of the cube is 2.

Step-by-step explanation:

The volume of a cube is calculated by multiplying the length, width, and height of the cube. In this case, the cube has dimensions of 2.65 cm (width), 2.5 cm (height), and 3.456 cm (length). To find the volume, multiply these three dimensions together:

Volume = 2.65 cm imes 2.5 cm imes 3.456 cm = 21.768 cm³

When determining the number of significant figures in the final answer, we look at the measurement with the least number of significant figures. In this case, the height of the cube has 2 significant figures, so the answer should be rounded to 2 significant figures. Therefore, the correct number of significant figures in the answer is 3) 2.

Thus, when calculating the volume, we are limited by the measurement with the least significant figures, which is two. As a result, the volume of the cube should be reported with two significant figures, which corresponds to option 3).