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, any zeros between significant digits, and trailing zeros in the decimal portion.

Front

How do you determine the number of significant figures in a measurement?

Back

Count all non-zero digits, any zeros between them, and trailing zeros in a decimal number. Leading zeros are not counted.

Front

How many significant figures are in the number 450 m?

Back

2 significant figures.

Front

How many significant figures are in the number 153.0 mL?

Back

4 significant figures.

Front

How many significant figures are in the number 2016 m?

Back

4 significant figures.

Front

How many significant figures are in the number 4.20 cm?

Back

3 significant figures.

Front

How many significant figures are in the number 100.000 cL?

Back

6 significant figures.

Front

What is the significance of trailing zeros in a decimal number?

Back

Trailing zeros in a decimal number are significant because they indicate precision.

Front

What is the significance of leading zeros in a number?

Back

Leading zeros are not significant; they only serve as placeholders.

Front

How do you round a number to a specific number of significant figures?

Back

Look at the digit immediately after the last significant figure you want to keep. If it's 5 or greater, round up the last significant figure.