When adding several quantities, the number of decimal places in the result must always be
A) larger than the number of decimal places in the most accurate of the quantities.
B) equal to the number of decimal places in the most accurate of the quantities.
C) equal to the average number of significant digits in the most and least accurate of the quantities.
D) equal to the number of decimal places in the least accurate of the quantities.
E) smaller than the number of decimal places in the least accurate of the quantities.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When adding or subtracting several quantities, the number of decimal places in the result must always be equal to the number of decimal places in the least accurate of the quantities. This is because the least accurate quantity determines the limiting factor in the precision of the result. Therefore, choice D, "equal to the number of decimal places in the least accurate of the quantities," is the best choice.

When Adding Several Quantities, the Number of Decimal Places in the Result