Final answer:
To find the circumference of a dinner plate with a radius of 3.5 inches, use the formula C = 2πr, which yields an approximate circumference of 22 inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the circumference of a dinner plate with a radius of 3.5 inches, we use the formula for the circumference of a circle, which is C = 2πr, where C is the circumference and r is the radius. We substitute the given radius (3.5 inches) into the formula to get:
C = 2 × 3.14159 × 3.5 inches
Now, multiplying 2 by π (approximately 3.14159) by the radius (3.5 inches):
C = 7 × 3.14159
C = 21.99113 inches
However, when working with significant figures, since the radius was given with two significant figures (3.5), our answer should also be limited to two significant figures. Therefore, we round our answer:
C ≈ 22 inches
The approximate circumference of the dinner plate is thus 22 inches.