Significant Digits

Front

What are significant digits?

Back

Significant digits (or significant figures) are the digits in a number that contribute to its precision. This includes all non-zero digits, any zeros between significant digits, and trailing zeros in the decimal part.

Front

How many significant digits are in the number 4000?

Back

1 significant digit.

Front

How many significant digits are in the number 5000.0?

Back

5 significant digits.

Front

How many significant digits are in the number 1000?

Back

1 significant digit.

Front

How many significant digits are in the number 0.0080500?

Back

5 significant digits.

Front

How many significant digits are in the number 0.008050?

Back

4 significant digits.

Front

What is the rule for counting significant digits in a number with a decimal point?

Back

All non-zero digits are significant, any zeros between significant digits are significant, and trailing zeros in the decimal part are significant.

Front

What is the rule for counting significant digits in a whole number without a decimal point?

Back

Only the non-zero digits are significant; trailing zeros are not significant.

Front

How many significant digits are in the number 0.000123?

Back

3 significant digits.

Front

How many significant digits are in the number 1200?

Back

2 significant digits (unless specified with a decimal point, e.g., 1200. which has 4 significant digits).