Understanding Significant Figures

What is the primary focus of significant figures in measurements?

• To increase the number of digits in a measurement

• To ensure precision and accuracy in measurements

• To make calculations more complex

• To eliminate the need for units in measurements

Why is it important to identify the uncertain digit in a measurement?

• To round off the measurement to the nearest whole number

• To determine the precision of the measuring instrument

• To convert the measurement into a different unit

• To ignore any errors in the measurement

Which of the following is always considered significant in a number?

• Trailing zeros without a decimal

• Zeros at the end of a whole number

• Leading zeros

• Non-zero digits

What is the significance of leading zeros in a measurement?

• They serve as placeholders and are not significant

• They are used to round off the measurement

• They are always counted as significant figures

• They indicate the precision of the measurement

What are captive zeros, and how are they treated in significant figures?

• Zeros at the beginning of a number, not significant

• Zeros at the end of a number, not significant

• Zeros after a decimal point, significant

• Zeros between non-zero digits, significant

How do trailing zeros affect the significance of a number when a decimal is present?

• They are significant only if they are at the beginning

• They are always ignored

• They are only significant if they are before the decimal

• They are significant because the decimal indicates precision

In the number 7600, how many significant figures are there if no decimal is present?

• One

• Four

• Two

• Three

If a number is written as 76.00, how many significant figures does it have?

• Five

• Four

• Three

• Two

What does the presence of a decimal point in a number indicate about trailing zeros?

• They are only significant if followed by a non-zero digit

• They are placeholders

• They are significant

• They are not significant

Why might a teacher choose to teach significant figures using rules?

• To confuse students

• To provide a structured approach to understanding significance

• To make the topic more complex

• To eliminate the need for practical examples