For test Method A, key in the sample mass of the specimen into the control panel. The entered mass should be to the nearest whole gram.

• A. No, the entered mass should be to the nearest tenth of a gram.
• B. No, the entered mass should be to the nearest hundredth of a gram.
• C. The mass should be entered to the nearest gram.
• D. Yes, the entered mass should be to the nearest kilogram.

Answer: (C)

The important idea is using the precision the method and equipment expect. For this procedure, you enter the sample mass to the nearest whole gram because the control panel is set up to read gram-level input and the measurement process does not require or support decimals. Rounding to the nearest gram keeps the data consistent with the instrument’s resolution and avoids implying a precision the equipment can’t provide. Entering values to the tenths or hundredths of a gram would exceed what the device or method requires, and entering in kilograms would be far too imprecise for this measurement. So you input the mass as a whole number of grams, rounding as needed.