What is the temperature reading on the fol-lowing Celsius thermometer? How many sig-nificant figures do you have in your answer?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Observe the thermometer and identify the scale markings. Each small division represents 1°C.
2. Locate the red line indicating the temperature reading. It is between the 55°C and 56°C marks.
3. Estimate the temperature to the nearest tenth of a degree. The red line is exactly at the 55.0°C mark.
4. Determine the number of significant figures. The temperature reading is 55.0°C, which has three significant figures.
5. Conclude that the temperature reading is 55.0°C with three significant figures.

Key Concepts

Celsius Temperature Scale

The Celsius scale is a temperature measurement system where 0°C is the freezing point of water and 100°C is the boiling point at standard atmospheric pressure. It is widely used in scientific contexts and everyday life. Understanding how to read a Celsius thermometer is essential for accurately determining temperature in various experiments and applications.

Significant Figures

Significant figures are the digits in a number that contribute to its precision. This includes all non-zero digits, any zeros between significant digits, and trailing zeros in the decimal portion. When reporting measurements, it is crucial to express the result with the correct number of significant figures to reflect the precision of the measurement tool used.

Reading a Thermometer

Reading a thermometer involves identifying the level of liquid (usually mercury or colored alcohol) against a calibrated scale. The reading should be taken at eye level to avoid parallax error, and the temperature is typically read to the nearest division on the scale. Understanding how to accurately read a thermometer is vital for obtaining reliable temperature data in experiments.