Rules for Determining Significant Figures are critical
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- ALL non-zero
- 2 sig nificant fig ures
- 3 sig nificant fig ures - 789
| Rules for Determining Significant Figures
Significant figures are critical when reporting scientific data because they give the reader an idea of how accurately you could actually measure/report your data. **The data is only as reliable as your least significant/accurate measurement 1) ALL non-zero numbers (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9) are ALWAYS significant. 2) ALL zeroes between non-zero numbers are ALWAYSsignificant. 3) ALL zeroes which are SIMULTANEOUSLY to the right of the decimal point AND at the end of the number are ALWAYS significant.(see Atlantic & Pacific rule below) 4) ALL zeroes which are to the left of a written decimal point and are in a number >= 10 are ALWAYS significant.. (see Atlantic & Pacific rule below) **A helpful way to check rules 3 and 4 is to write the number in scientific notation. If you can/must get rid of the zeroes, then they are NOT significant. The Atlantic/Pacific Rule for Determining Significant Figures 1) look for the Presence, or Absence, of a decimal point - this will tell you which side to start counting from Pacific: left Atlantic: right 
Pacific Atlantic 2) if there is a decimal point (Presence) you start counting from the left side of the number - starting from the very left side of the number - look for the first non-zero number - count the first non-zero number and every number (0-9) after that - example: 0.00030 - because there is a decimal point (Present), we start from the left side of the number
- count that number and every number after that regardless of what the number is (0-9) - in this case there are 2 significant figures - 0.00030
- starting from the very right side of the number, look for the first non-zero number - count the first non-zero number and every number (0-9) after that - example: 789000 - because there is no decimal point (Absent), we start from the right side of the number
- count that number and every number after that regardless of what the number is (0-9) - in this case there are 3 significant figures - 789000 Directory: cms -> lib9 -> NJ01000562 -> Centricity -> Domain Domain -> All on-line databases lib9 -> Summer Reading Suggestions for 2016 lib9 -> Chapter 19 Index of Images From Gothic to Renaissance: 14th Century Italian Art lib9 -> Chapter 21 Index of Images Humanism and the Allure of Antiquity: 15th Century Italian Art lib9 -> Name: "Quitters Inc." lib9 -> Unit 1: Industrialization, Immigration & The Progressive Movement lib9 -> Chapter 29: The Cold War Era and the Emergence of a New Europe lib9 -> Chapter 16: The Transatlantic Economy, Trade Wars, and Colonial Rebellions Outline lib9 -> Name Adapted from the History Channel (History com) d-day Introduction Download 82.11 Kb. Share with your friends:
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