Chapter 1 - Introduction: Matter and Measurement - Exercises - Page 34: 1.8a

You need no formulas to answer this question

This question asks about reporting sig figs. When doing multiplication or division, you always go to the sig figs of the number with the fewest amount of sig figs. For instance, if you were multiplying 5.5 (two sig figs) by 10.25 (4 sig figs), you would round the answer to two sig figs. This specific question involves the right number of sig figs for a volume calculation. The numbers are 2.5 cm$\times$1.25 cm$\times$5.30cm. 2.5 has two sig figs, 1.25 and 5.30 both have three. Since finding volume using multiplication (l$\times$w$\times$h), we round to the sig figs of the number with the fewest sig figs. This would be 2.5, so we would report to two sig figs.