A significant figure is a bit like a decimal place, in that just how a maths question may ask for the answer 'to 2 decimal places' it may also be answered to '2 significant figures'.
For example, say you have the answer: 3.1415926
To 1 decimal place it would be: 3.1
(because you round the 4 after the 1 down, because it is less than 5), because there is 1 digit after the decimal place (.)
To (a certain amount) of significant figures, however, means the total amount of digits/numbers in the answer, for example:
To 3 significant figures, the answer would be: 3.14 because there are now just 3 digits in the answer.
However, a '0' does not count as a significant figure if it is before/after a set of regular (1-9) numbers (but it does count if it is in-between).
For example: 0.00000454
This is still to 3 significant figures, because the '0's are before the other numbers, and so do not 'count'.
The same can be said for: 45400000000
This is still to 3 significant figures, because the '0's are after the other numbers, so they do not count.
However: 400045
This is NOT to 3 significant figures, because the '0's are IN BETWEEN the other numbers, and so they DO count as significant figures.
Hope I helped :)
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37.753 rounded to one significant figure becomes 40
The first significant figure of 0.000169 is the 1 and it has 3 significant figures.
2.5368 to 5 significant figure=2.5368
It is 200 rounded to one significant figure
Rounded to one significant figure it becomes 40