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A decminal place is simply the number of digits to the right of the decimal in a number. For instance, 37.5834 has four decimal places. In contrast, a significant figure is the number of digits on either side of the decimal place that can be counted as accurate in a calculation. Significant figures are used to determine how accurate a calculation is based on how accurate the measurements are.

Significant figures are determined by counting the number of significant figures in the numbers given in a problem (usually in chemistry or physics) then using the lowest count found. Here's an example:

"calculate the average velocity of a car that has travelled 45 km in 60 minutes." The number "45" has two significant figures while the number "60" has one significant figure. Therefore, when calculating the velocity (45/60), the answer can have only one significant figure: 0.8 km/min. However, if the time was written as "60.0" minutes, then this number would have three significant figures and the answer could have two significant figures (0.75 km/min) because the number "45" had two significant figures.

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Q: What is the differences between a significant figure and decimal place?
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Does a zero after a decimal count as a significant figure?

no


How do you round 0.00076321 into 3 significant?

Two rules associated with significant figure :-. When rounding off numbers is "If the first figure to be discarded is 5 or more then the previous figure is increased by 1". Zeros must be kept to show the position of the decimal point or to indicate that zero is a significant figure. Then 0.000 must be kept to show the position of the decimal point. 763 are thus the three significant figures and no change is required as the first figure to be discarded is 2 and this is less than 5. The answer to 3 significant figures is 0.000763


How many significant digits are 0.1020?

0.1020 is a number to 4 significant figures. The rule is that "Zeros must be kept to show the position of the decimal point or to indicate that zero is a significant figure." Then the leading zero before the decimal point is retained as this shows the position of the decimal point. The zero between 1 and 2 is a key part of the number. The final zero (after 2) is a significant figure otherwise the number would be written 0.102. Consequently, the 4 significant figures are "1020" but are presented as 0.1020 to ensure the true value of the number is accurately given.


How many significant figures in 0.020?

.020 has two significant figures: 2 and 0 A significant figure are digits that contain meaning contributing to precision. All numbers are considered meaningful except for zero, unless zero is between two other numbers or tailing non zero numbers where a decimal is present.


What is 9862 to 1 significant figure?

Truncated to one significant figure, it's 9,000 .Rounded to one significant figure, it's 10,000.

Related questions

What is the significant figure of 78.00100?

The significant figure of 78.00100 is 78.00. It had 7 significant figures and a least significant decimal of -5.


Does a zero after a decimal count as a significant figure?

no


What are the significant numbers in 10.00?

In 10.00, the first significant figure is the "1", and the last significant figure is the last "0", because zeroes to the right of the decimal are significant. The two central zeroes are also significant because they are between significant figures, so 10.00 has 4 significant figures.


How many significant figures are in 60000?

There are 5 significant figures, the six plus the four zeroes. The zeroes are significant figures due to the inclusion of the decimal - with no decimal there would only be one significant figure (the six).


What is the significant figures of 1000000?

1000000) has 1 significant figure and a least significant decimal of 6.


What is significant figure of 6700?

6700 has two significant figure, the 6 and 7. The trailing zeroes are not significant because there is not decimal, and they are placeholders.


How many significant figures does 0.44003 have?

The given decimal figure has 5 significant figures.


How many significant numbers are in 1.10030?

6, because there is a 1 in front of the decimal so every number after the decimal is also a significant figure.


What is 10.245 rounded to?

It depends to what degree of accuracy: 10.25 (2 Decimal Places) 10.3 (1 Decimal Place) 10 (0 Decimal Places) 10 (1 Significant Figure) I included 1 Significant Figure for your future reference. If the number was 11.245 then to 1 Significant figure would be 10 because 0 does not count as a figure and therefore the 1 in 11 would be the only FIGURE.


How do you determine the significant figure?

1. Zeros appearing between nonzero numbers are significant. For example, 3.02 has 3 significant figures. 2. Zeros appearing in front of nonzero numbers are not significant. For example, 0.0009 has 1 significant figure. 3. Zeros at the end of a number and to the right of a decimal point are significant. For example, 26.600 has 5 significant figures. 4. Zeros at the end of a number and to the left of a decimal point can be either significant or not significant. If the zero has been measured or estimated, it is significant. It is not significant if it has not been measured or estimated and is merely serving as a placeholder. A decimal placed after the zeros indicates that the zeros are significant. For example, 2000. has 4 significant figures. 2000 (with no decimal) has one significant figure. 5. In scientific notation, all digits appearing before the exponent are significant. For example, 3.226 x 105 has 4 significant figures.


Does 0.070 have one significant figure?

No, two of them. Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal point are significant.


How many significant figures does 200.00 have?

8 significant figures. The decimal makes the first 5 zeros significant while the two zeros after the decimal are significant because there is a significant figure earlier (2).