In an experiment, a student measures the time period of a simple...

The sum of the measured time periods is:
$2.63 + 2.56 + 2.42 + 2.71 + 2.80 = 13.12 \mathrm{~s}$

The mean time period is calculated by dividing the sum by the exact number of measurements (5):
Mean $= \dfrac{13.12}{5} = 2.624 \mathrm{~s}$

Since the original measurements are recorded to two decimal places, the final result must also be rounded to two decimal places.

Rounding $2.624 \mathrm{~s}$ to two decimal places gives $2.62 \mathrm{~s}$.

Answer: $2.62 \mathrm{~s}$