What answer should be reported, with the correct number of significant figures, for the following calculation? 3.000 × 10⁵ + 614283 A) 914283 B) 9.1428 × 10⁵ C) 914300 D) 9.14283 × 10⁵ E) 914000

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The addition here is a simple one and we can perform it without worrying about significant figures. The result of 3.000 × 10⁵ + 614283 is 3.000 × 10⁵ + 614283 = 30000000000 + 614283 = 30000614283. Then, we need to round the answer to the correct number of significant figures. The least precise number is 614283, which has 6 significant figures. Therefore, we need to round our answer to 6 significant figures. The sixth digit is 4, which is less than 5. Therefore, we round down the fifth digit. The final answer is 914300. Choice C is the best choice.

What Answer Should Be Reported, with the Correct Number of Significant