Rules to follow in determining the number of significant figures?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

1. Always count nonzero digits

Example: 21 has two significant figures, while 8.926 has four

2. Never count leading zeros

Example: 021 and 0.021 both have two significant figures

3. Always count zeros which fall somewhere between two nonzero digits

Example: 20.8 has three significant figures, while 0.00104009 has six

4. Count trailing zeros if and only if the number contains a decimal point

Example: 210 and 210000 both have two significant figures, while 210. has three and 210.00 has five

5. For numbers expressed in scientific notation, ignore the exponent and apply Rules 1-4 to the mantissa

Example: -4.2010 x 1028 has five significant figures

Answer 4

1. Zeros between number are significant figures.

303 is 3 sig. fig.

3003 is 4 sig. fig.

2. Zeros before a number is not a significant figure.

3. Zeros after a decimal place is a significant figure.

4. Zeros after a number can be a sig. fig. depending on what is required

54000 can be 2 sf, 3sf, 4sf and 5sf

Answer 5

1. All non-zero digits are significant.
2. Zeros between non-zero digits are significant.
3. Leading zeros (zeros to the left of the first non-zero digit) are not significant.
4. Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal point are significant.

Answer 6

See the link below.