Question

To calculate the force factor, divide each force by the original force (0.667 N). Write each force factor with three significant digits. Next, calculate the reciprocal of the square of each distance and fill in the last column of the table. Write each of these values with three significant digits as well. (The unit of 1/distance 2 is square meters, or m2.)

Answer 1

I don’t have your table values, so I can’t fill it in yet. Below are the exact steps, the formulas, a short note about units, and a worked example so you can finish the table or paste your numbers and I’ll do the calculations for you.

Steps
1. Force factor = (measured force) ÷ (original force = 0.667 N).
- Round this quotient to three significant digits.

2. Reciprocal of the square of the distance = 1 / (distance^2).
- If distance d is in meters, this gives units of m^−2 (per square meter). Note: this is not m^2; it is m^−2.
- Round this value to three significant digits.

Worked example
- Suppose a measured force F = 0.500 N and the corresponding distance d = 0.150 m.

1) Force factor = 0.500 / 0.667 = 0.749625… → 3 significant digits → 0.750

2) 1/d^2 = 1 / (0.150^2) = 1 / 0.0225 = 44.444... → 3 significant digits → 44.4 m^−2

Spreadsheet formulas
- If column A has measured forces (N) and column B distances (m):
- Force factor in column C: =A2/0.667 (then round/display to 3 sig figs)
- Reciprocal of distance squared in column D: =1/(B2^2) (then round/display to 3 sig figs)

To format to three significant digits in Excel you can use a custom technique (because ROUND uses decimal places, not sig figs) or use scientific-format cell formatting with 3 significant digits. If you want the exact Excel formula for rounding to 3 significant digits, I can provide it.

If you paste your forces and distances (or the whole table), I will compute the force factors and 1/d^2 values and return them rounded to three significant digits.