PHYSICS 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Leading Zero, Significant Figures
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There is a highly accurate method using derivatives to determine exact answers. Method of significant figures is nearly always correct, and technically much simpler. Method: determine number of significant figures. 21. 30 = four significant figures (count trailing zeroes) . 00213 = three significant figures (don"t count leading zeroes: final digit is called the least significant figure. Given 21. 3, 3 is the least significant figure. Given 21. 30, 0 is the least significant figure. Given . 00213, 3 is the least significant figure: mathematics. With addition/subtraction = greatest order of magnitude. 2. 1 (tenths order of magnitude) + 2. 0003 (thousandths order) = 4. 1003. Truncate to 4. 1 because the highest order of magnitude (tenths) is the order with the least certainty. With multiplication/division = smallest number of significant figures. Truncate to 4. 2 because the smallest number of significant figures is 2 in 2. 1 (4. 69*8. 6) + (5. 59*6. 5) > (40. 334) + (36. 335) > (76. 669) > 77.
