WS - Significant Figures
WS - Significant Figures
WS - Significant Figures
In an attempt to get away from the mathematical burden of uncertainties, scientists have gone to the use
of established rules for significant digits that have greatly simplified calculations. These rules are:
1. Significant numbers are always measurements and thus should always be accompanied by the
measurement's unit. For simplicity, units are not included in the following examples.
2. Any numbers (that are measurements) other than zero are significant. (Many times the zeros are also
significant as you will see below.) Thus 123.45 contains five significant digits.
3. Any zeros between numbers are significant, thus 1002.05 contains six significant digits.
4. Unless told differently, all zeros to the left of an understood decimal point (a decimal that is not
printed)
but to the right of the last number are not significant. The number 921000 contains three significant
digits.
5. Any zeros to the left of a number but to the right of a decimal point are not significant.
921000. has six significant digits.
6. These zeros are present merely to indicate the presence of a decimal point (they are used as place
holders), (these zeros are not part of the measurement). The number 0.00123 has three significant
digits. The reason that these zeros are not significant is that the measurement 0.00123 grams is
equal in magnitude to the measurement 1.23 milligrams. 1.23 has three significant digits, thus
0.0123 must also have three significant digits.
7. Any zeros to the right of a number and the right of a decimal point are significant. The value 0.012300
and 25.000 both contain five significant digits. The reason for this is that significant figures indicate to
what place a measurement is made. Thus the measurement 25.0 grams tells us that the
measurement was made to the tenths place. (The accuracy of the scale is to the tenths place.)
ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION: The answer should be rounded off so as to contain the same number
of decimal places as the number with the least number of decimal places. In other words, an answer can
be only as accurate as the number with the least accuracy.
Thus: 11.31 + 33.264 + 4.1 = 48.674 Rounded off to 48.7
MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION: The answer should be rounded off to contain the same number of
digits as found in the LEAST accurate of the values.
Thus: 5.282 x 3.42 = 18.06444 Rounded off to 18.1
Perform the following operations giving the proper number of significant figures in the answer:
Perform the following operations giving the proper number of significant figures in the answer.
Converting between two sets of units never changes the number of significant figures in a
measurement. Remember, data are only as good as the original measurement, and no later
manipulations can clean them up.