The rules of significant figures are as follows;
1) Significant figures are the first digit in the number that isn't a '0'. Doesn't matter how far behind or in front of the decimal point it is.
1st Significant figure of 5098 is 5000. The first number that isn't a '0'.
When you get onto the 2nd is when it gets confusing. After the first significant figure, any number which comes after it is a significant figure regardless of whether it is a Zero.
Thus the second significant figure of 5098, is 5000 too.
And the third? Well, it's the third number in.
So the third is 5090.
In addition, you add significant figures like any other number. Due to the fact that it is rounded off, however, it will not be exact.
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The simple rule is: no more significant figures than the least accurate of the values in the computation. For multiplication and division, the result should have as many significant figures as the measured number with the smallest number of significant figures. For addition and subtraction, the result should have as many decimal places as the measured number with the smallest number of decimal places. (Rounding off can be tricky, but that would be another thread)
The rules for identifying significant figures when writing or interpreting numbers are as follows: 1. All non-zero digits are considered significant. For example, 91 has two significant figures (9 and 1), while 123.45 has five significant figures (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). 2. Zeros appearing anywhere between two non-zero digits are significant. Example: 101.1203 has seven significant figures: 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 0 and 3. 3. Leading zeros are not significant. For example, 0.00052 has two significant figures: 5 and 2. 4. Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal point are significant. For example, 12.2300 has six significant figures: 1, 2, 2, 3, 0 and 0. The number 0.000122300 still has only six significant figures (the zeros before the 1 are not significant). In addition, 120.00 has five significant figures since it has three trailing zeros.
The rules for identifying significant figures when writing or interpreting numbers are as follows: All non-zero digits are considered significant. For example, 91 has two significant figures (9 and 1), while 123.45 has five significant figures (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). Zeros appearing anywhere between two non-zero digits are significant. Example: 101.1203 has seven significant figures: 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 0 and 3. Leading zeros are not significant. For example, 0.00052 has two significant figures: 5 and 2. Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal point are significant. For example, 12.2300 has six significant figures: 1, 2, 2, 3, 0 and 0. The number 0.000122300 still has only six significant figures (the zeros before the 1 are not significant). In addition, 120.00 has five significant figures since it has three trailing zeros.
The rules for identifying significant figures when writing or interpreting numbers are as follows: All non-zero digits are considered significant. For example, 91 has two significant figures (9 and 1), while 123.45 has five significant figures (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). Zeros appearing anywhere between two non-zero digits are significant. Example: 101.1203 has seven significant figures: 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 0 and 3. Leading zeros are not significant. For example, 0.00052 has two significant figures: 5 and 2. Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal point are significant. For example, 12.2300 has six significant figures: 1, 2, 2, 3, 0 and 0. The number 0.000122300 still has only six significant figures (the zeros before the 1 are not significant). In addition, 120.00 has five significant figures since it has three trailing zeros.
The rules for identifying significant figures when writing or interpreting numbers are as follows: All non-zero digits are considered significant. For example, 91 has two significant figures (9 and 1), while 123.45 has five significant figures (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). Zeros appearing anywhere between two non-zero digits are significant. Example: 101.1203 has seven significant figures: 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 0 and 3. Leading zeros are not significant. For example, 0.00052 has two significant figures: 5 and 2. Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal point are significant. For example, 12.2300 has six significant figures: 1, 2, 2, 3, 0 and 0. The number 0.000122300 still has only six significant figures (the zeros before the 1 are not significant). In addition, 120.00 has five significant figures since it has three trailing zeros.