Precision - HiSET

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Question

Multiply, adjusting for significant digits.

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Answer

First, determine the number of significant digits in each factor. Both factors have leading zeroes, which must be discounted. Therefore, in each factor, the number of significant digits can be found by counting from the first nonzero digit to the final digit. 0.00421 and 0.00332 each have three significant digits.

Now, multiply the numbers outright. The product, ignoring any trailing zeroes, is

The product must be rounded to the appropriate number of significant digits. This number must be the lesser of the numbers of significant digits that appears in the factors, which is three. Count from the first nonzero digit:

Rounded, this is 0.0000140, the correct choice. (Note that this trailing zero must be kept in order to have three significant digits.)

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