Lola needs to sign 96 invitations. Using a stopwatch that measures time to tenths of a second, it takes Lola 5.3 seconds to sign her full name. Going by the accuracy of the stopwatch, which is the most accurate determination for the number of minutes Lola needs to sign all 96 invitations?
Lola needs to sign 96 invitations. Using a stopwatch that measures time to tenths of a second, it takes Lola 5.3 seconds to sign her full name. Going by the accuracy of the stopwatch, which is the most accurate determination for the number of minutes Lola needs to sign all 96 invitations?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To determine the most accurate time in minutes that Lola needs to sign all 96 invitations, we use the given data:
- Time to sign one invitation = 5.3 seconds
- Number of invitations = 96
Step-by-Step Calculation:
- Total time in seconds = 96 invitations × 5.3 seconds/invitation
= 508.8 seconds - Convert seconds to minutes:
Since 1 minute = 60 seconds,
508.8 ÷ 60 = 8.48 minutes
Final Answer:
Lola needs 8.48 minutes to sign all 96 invitations.
Explanation
This problem involves basic multiplication and unit conversion, but precision is essential due to the stopwatch measuring time to the nearest tenth of a second. Each time Lola signs her name, it takes her 5.3 seconds, and she must do this 96 times, one for each invitation.
To find the total time she spends signing, we first multiply the time per invitation by the total number of invitations:96×5.3=508.8 seconds96 \times 5.3 = 508.8 \text{ seconds}96×5.3=508.8 seconds
Next, we convert this total from seconds into minutes. Since there are 60 seconds in one minute, we divide:508.8÷60=8.48 minutes508.8 \div 60 = 8.48 \text{ minutes}508.8÷60=8.48 minutes
This conversion is crucial because the question asks for the time in minutes, not seconds. Also, the stopwatch measures time to tenths of a second, so it is appropriate to keep our final answer accurate to the hundredths of a minute.
Some might mistakenly round or approximate early in the process, such as rounding 5.3 seconds to 5 or 6, or rounding 8.48 minutes to 8.5 or 8. But given the precision of the timing device (tenths of a second), such rounding would reduce accuracy. Instead, we retain all the decimals through the calculation to provide the most accurate determination of total time.
Therefore, the most accurate answer is 8.48 minutes.
