Question

Each side of a cube is measured to be $7.203m$. What are the total surface area and the volume of the cube to appropriate significant figures?

• A. $373.7m^2,311.3m^3$
• B. $311.3m^2,373.7m^3$
• C. $273.4m^2,342.4m^3$
• D. $423.4m^2,437.4m^3$

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

According to the rule for arithmetic operations with significant figures, in multiplication, the final result should retain as many significant figures as there are in the original number with the least significant figures.
Given, length of each side of cube, $l=7.203m$.
As the number of significant figures in the measured length is $4.$
So, the calculated area and the volume should therefore be rounded off to $4$ significant figures.
Surface area of the cube $=6l^2=6(7.203{)}^2$
$=311.299254=311.3m^2$
Volume of the cube $=l^3=(7.203{)}^3$
$=373.714754=373.7m^3$