Anthony T. answered • 09/27/20
Patient Science Tutor
Density is defined as mass per unit volume. So, you divide the mass of the object by its volume. In this case, the mass is in grams and the block dimensions are in cm, so the density will be in grams/cm3 (cubic centimeters). Recall that to find the volume of a rectangular block, you multiply the height, width, and length together. You then divide the mass (63.22 g) by the block's volume (my TI calculator gave me 9.057194 cm3. Here is where significant figures comes into play. The rule says that in multiplication and division, the result should have no more significant figures than the factor with the least number of significant figures. In this case, the dimensions of the block have 3 significant figures, so the result should have no more than 3 also. You can use the calculator result for the volume or you can round the volume down. In intermediate calculations (i.e. calculations that will be used in another calculation), it is suggested to keep at least one more digit than will be used in the final calculation to avoid rounding errors.
