CHE-1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Significant Figures, Scientific Notation
Document Summary
Significant figures: (aka sig figs, sf) digits that result from a measurement such that only the digit farthest to the right is not known with certainty. 0. 07 vs. 0. 072 0. 072 has more significant figures (sf) and it also has less error/more precision. The number of sf in a measurement is equal to the number of digits known plus one that"s estimated. Examples: 24. 3 c = 3 sf. 24 is known for sure 3 bears some uncertainty: 24. 32 c = 4 sf. 24. 3 is known for sure 2 bears some uncertainty. Zero rules: placeholders (digits at the beginning of the #) are not significant, 0. 07% these zeroes are not sf, but the 7 is. 7. 40 (3sf) 4. 500 x 10^7 (4 sf) 501. 00 (5 sf: zeroes at the end of the number with no decimal are ambiguous use scientific notation in these cases, 93,000,000 vs. 9. 3 x 10 ^7 vs. 9. 30 x 10 ^7.
