Rounding for 10% Error: (106 +/- 11) k^2 Hz^2?

[ronaldoshaky]

Homework Statement

the frequency squared is 106.01 k^2 Hz^2. The percentage error is 10 %. How do you quote the quantity

Homework Equations

I said (106.0 +/- 10.6) k^2 Hz^2

My question is rounding to (106 +/- 11) k^2 Hz^2 wrong? 11 k^2 Hz^2 seems to be more than 10 per cent. Thanks

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[diazona]

Well, it's not much of a difference between 10.6% and 11%. In the real world, you'd probably write 106 ± 11 because giving more than two significant figures in the error is pretty useless.

But if this is a problem for a class... I couldn't guarantee that 106 ± 11 would be accepted as correct. Sometimes the rules used for grading homework problems don't quite correspond to real life. (Often for good reason, but sometimes not)