Transcript 1.6 Significant Digits

 If

it is not zero, it IS significant!
Ex: all digits are significant in



45.2 cm
91,722 mL
1.2 kg
 Zeros




in a “zero sandwich ARE significant!
Ex: all significant in
405 Mm
23,009 L
100,003 ng
 If
no decimal is showing, zeros to the right ARE
NOT significant!

Zeros are not significant in:



3400 dg
300 L
12,450 pm
 In
small decimal numbers, zeros to the left
ARE NOT significant!

Zeros are not significant in:



0.0023 ng
0.231 m
0.000056 kL






506 L
11.09 mg
5600 km
0.0026 dL
45.00 s
0.000650 mm
 Least
total SD’s!
 The number with the smallest amount of
significant digits determines how many SD’s are in
your answer
 Examples:
 5.670 m X 3.4 m =
 19 m2
 45.60 m / 3.70 s =
 12.3 m/s
 Least
significant placeholder
 The number with the least significant placeholder
determines the least significant placeholder in
your answer.
 Ex.




409.34 cm – 23.7 cm =
385.6 cm
3.85 g + 24.901 g + 200.7 g =
229.5 g