Significant Figures

Front

What are significant figures?

Back

Significant figures are the digits in a number that contribute to its precision. This includes all non-zero digits, captive zeros, and trailing zeros if there is a decimal point.

Front

Are all non-zero digits significant?

Back

Yes, all non-zero digits are significant.

Front

Example: How many significant figures are in 134?

Back

134 has 3 significant figures.

Front

Are leading zeros significant?

Back

No, leading zeros are never significant as they do not contribute to the precision of the number.

Front

Example: How many significant figures are in 0.0034?

Back

0.0034 has 2 significant figures.

Front

What are captive zeros?

Back

Captive zeros are zeros that appear between two non-zero digits and are always significant.

Front

Example: How many significant figures are in 3003?

Back

3003 has 4 significant figures.

Front

When are trailing zeros significant?

Back

Trailing zeros are significant if there is a decimal point in the number.

Front

Example: How many significant figures are in 340.0?

Back

340.0 has 4 significant figures.

Front

What are two situations with infinite significant figures?

Back

1. An exact count (e.g., 17 students) 2. An exact conversion (e.g., 60 seconds/1 minute)