Final answer:
The area of the rectangle is calculated by converting the given millimeter measurements to centimeters and then multiplying the length by the width. For the given dimensions, the area is 10.4 cm.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the area of a rectangle, we multiply its length by its width. However, since the question provides dimensions in millimeters and asks for the area in square centimeters, we need to first convert the given measurements from millimeters to centimeters. Remember, there are 10 millimeters in a centimeter.
Converting the length: 52 millimeters = 52/10 = 5.2 centimeters.
Converting the width: 20 millimeters = 20/10 = 2.0 centimeters.
Now, to find the area:
Area = length × width = 5.2 cm × 2.0 cm = 10.4 cm².
It's important to express your final answer to the proper number of significant figures, based on the precision of the measurements provided. In this case, since both original measurements were given to two significant figures, the area should be reported as 10 cm² when rounded to two significant figures.