Question

econo - balance 200 g
balance pro 180 g
good balance 177 g
exacto - balance 177.0 g
a. based on this additional information, does rock c have a mass larger smaller or the same as rock a, or is it impossible to tell? explain your reasoning.
larger mass
b. explain why the zero in the exacto - balance reading provides important information about the mass of rock c, but the zero in the good balance reading does not.
i

Explanation:

a.

The mass of rock C is measured as 177.0 g (most precise measurement) which is less than the 200 g measurement of rock A (assuming rock A is measured with Econo - Balance). So rock C has a smaller mass.

b.

The zero in Exacto - Balance reading (177.0 g) is a significant figure, indicating that the measurement is made to the tenths place, adding precision to the mass value of rock C. In the Good Balance reading (177 g), the zero is not a significant figure as the measurement is only accurate to the ones place, so it doesn't add extra information about the precision of the mass measurement.

Answer:

a. Rock C has a smaller mass.

b. The zero in Exacto - Balance is a significant figure adding precision, while the zero in Good Balance is not a significant figure and doesn't add precision.