Look at the data in the table below. Which measurement has two significant figures?

\begin{tabular}{|l|l|}
\hline
Time (s) & Velocity [tex][tex]$( m / s )$[/tex][/tex] \\
\hline
1 & 0.275 \\
\hline
2 & 750 \\
\hline
3 & [tex][tex]$10.4 \times 10^5$[/tex][/tex] \\
\hline
4 & 11,890 \\
\hline
5 & 320,050 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

A. 11,890
B. 320,050
C. [tex][tex]$10.4 \times 10^5$[/tex][/tex]
D. 750



Answer :

To determine which measurement has two significant figures, we need to analyze the significant figures for each value provided in the table.

1. [tex]\(0.275\)[/tex]:
- Count all non-zero digits and zeros between them.
- Here, the number has three significant figures: 0.275.

2. [tex]\(750\)[/tex]:
- Count all non-zero digits.
- Leading zeros (zeros to the left of the number) are not significant, but trailing zeros in the presence of a decimal point are significant. However, in this case, without a decimal point or scientific notation indicating otherwise, the trailing zero may or may not be significant, but the conservative approach indicates it includes two significant figures: 7 and 5.

3. [tex]\(10.4 \times 10^5\)[/tex]:
- Count all the digits in the coefficient: 10.4.
- Here, it has three significant figures: 1, 0, and 4.

4. [tex]\(11,890\)[/tex]:
- Count all non-zero digits and any zeros between them or following them if they are known to be significant.
- Here, the number has five significant figures: 1, 1, 8, 9, and 0.

5. [tex]\(320,050\)[/tex]:
- Count all non-zero digits and any zeros between them or following them if they are known to be significant.
- Here, the number has six significant figures: 3, 2, 0, 0, 5, and 0.

Summarizing:
- Option A: 11,890 has five significant figures.
- Option B: 320,050 has six significant figures.
- Option C: [tex]\(10.4 \times 10^5\)[/tex] has three significant figures.
- Option D: 750 has two significant figures.

Therefore, the measurement with two significant figures is [tex]\(750\)[/tex].

Correct answer: D. 750

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