Rules for Significant Figures - Weebly



Rules for Significant Figures

-Only the digits in a number that were actually measured are significant.

1. All non-zero numbers (1-9) are significant.

483 (3 sig figs)

84.823 (5 sig figs)

2. Zeros between two non-zero numbers (1-9) are significant.

804 (3 sig figs)

13.05 (4 sig figs)

0.00809 (3 sig figs)

3. Zeros to the right (() of a non-zero number and to the left (() of a decimal point are not significant. (BIG numbers)

800 (1 sig fig)

9030 (3 sig figs)

*If the decimal point is present, though, the zeros are significant!

800.0 (4 sig figs)

4. Zeros to the left (() of a non-zero number and to the right (() of a decimal point are not significant. (SMALL numbers)

0.003 (1 sig fig)

0.000508 (3 sig figs)

1.04 (3 sig figs)

0.04 (1 sig fig)

5. All zeros to the right (() of a non-zero number and to the right (() of the decimal are significant.

83.400 (5 sig figs)

0.005600 (4 sig figs)

Based on the rules stated on the front page, determine the number of significant figures in each of the following measurements.

1. 7890 m _____

2. 40057 km _____

3. 1500 mL _____

4. 0.00842kg _____

5. 1.00300 L _____

6. 0.0009000 mm _____

7. 23000.0 daL _____

8. 0.002054 dg _____

9. 124000 m _____

10. 1500. mL _____

Pacific Atlantic

→ ←

If the decimal is P___________, count from the ________ starting at the first non-zero.

If the decimal is A_______, count from the ________ starting at the first non-zero.

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