Significant Figures
You sometimes need to record results to a specific number of significant figures. Significant figures consider ALL the digits of a number - this includes the digits BEFORE a decimal point as well as those after the decimal point.
If you are asked to record a number to four significant figures, your recorded number must have four numbers of significance.
NOTE 1: The digits 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9 are always significant
NOTE 2: The digit zero or 0 is not always significant.
NOTE 2: The digit zero or 0 is not always significant.
Examples
102.37468 to four significant figures is 102.4: the middle zero is significant
BUT
0.0010237468 to four significant figures is NOT 0.0010, it is 0.001024 - the zeros immediately to the right and left of the decimal point are not significant.
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