Which of the following is the correct rule for determining the number of significant figures in the result of a multiplication or division calculation?

• A. The result should have the same number of decimal places as the measurement with the fewest decimal places.
• B. The result should have the same number of significant figures as the measurement with the most significant figures.
• C. The result should have the same number of significant figures as the measurement with the fewest significant figures.
• D. The result should have one more significant figure than the measurement with the most significant figures.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that when performing multiplication or division, the precision of the result is limited by the least precise measurement involved in the calculation.
2. Recall the rule for significant figures in multiplication and division: the number of significant figures in the final result should match the number of significant figures in the measurement with the fewest significant figures.
3. Note that this rule differs from addition and subtraction, where the number of decimal places is the limiting factor, not significant figures.
4. Apply this rule by first identifying the number of significant figures in each measurement used in the calculation.
5. Then, round the final result to have the same number of significant figures as the measurement with the smallest number of significant figures.