Question

What is the upper bound for:

a) 14.2 cm (correct to 1 decimal place)
b) 43.18 cm (correct to 2 decimal places)
a) 14.2
b) 43.18
c) 14.3
d) 43.2

Answer 1

The upper bound for (a) 14.2 cm correct to 1 decimal place is c) 14.3 cm, and for (b) 43.18 cm correct to 2 decimal places, the upper bound is d) 43.2 cm.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept we are dealing with here is the upper bound of a measurement when rounded to a certain number of decimal places or significant figures. The upper bound is the highest value that would round down to the given number.

For (a) 14.2 cm (correct to 1 decimal place), the smallest increment at 1 decimal place is 0.1 cm. So, the upper bound would be just less than 14.3 cm, as 14.3 would be rounded to 14.3 to one decimal place. Hence, the correct answer would be c) 14.3 cm.

For (b) 43.18 cm (correct to 2 decimal places), the smallest increment at 2 decimal places is 0.01 cm. So, the upper bound would be just less than 43.19 cm. Since 43.19 would still round to 43.18 to two decimal places, the correct option is d) 43.2 cm.