SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

Scientific Notation
Very large and very small number are often ecountered in
science
602200000000000000000000
0.00000000000000000000625
Very large and very small number like these are awkward
and difficult to work with
• A method for representing these number in a simpler form is
called scientific

6.022 x1023
6.25 x10-21
SCIENTIFIC NOTATION, SIGNIFICANT FIGURES, AND
READING ERRORS
All data and results in your lab reports must be reported using scientific notation. Scientific
By convention,
Notation makes anyitnumber
easy toreported without a decimal
report extremely small andplace is agreed
large to have
numbers, andanto report numbers using
uncertainty of half a digit smaller than the smallest digit reported. The number 300
the correct number of significant digits. Here is an example:
really meansInanything
In
Scientific
Scientific
Notation
Notation
between 250this
this
and would
would
350. bebewritten
written asas
3.03 XX10102 2
3.00
Now if the first zero in 300 was significant, the
If the second zero in 300 was significant, the
the uncertainty range would be as follows:
the uncertainty range would be as follows:
250
295
299.5 300 350
300.5
305
 All analog measurements involve a scale and a pointer

• Errors arise from:

– Quality of scale
– Quality of pointer
– Calibration
– Ability of reader
 ACCURACY and PRECISION
• ACCURACY: how closely a number agrees with the correct
value
• PRECISION: how closely individual measurements agree with
one another – repeatability

– Can a number have high precision and low accuracy?

 Significant figures are the number of figures believed to be
correct
• In reading the number the last digit quoted is a best estimate. Conventionally, the last figure is
estimated to a tenth of the smallest division

2.3 6

2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5

 The last figure written is always an estimate

• In this example we recorded the measurement to be 2.36

• The last figure “6” is our best estimate
• It is really saying 2.36 ± .01

2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5

Precision of measurement (No. of Significant figures) depends
on scale – last digit always estimated
• Smallest Division = 1
• Estimate to 0.1 – tenth of smallest division
• 3 S.F.
99.6

97 98 99 100
 Lower precision scale

• Smallest Division = 10
• Estimate to 1 – tenth of smallest division
• 2 S.F.
96

70 80 90 100
 Precision in measurement follows the scale

• Smallest Division = 100

• Estimate to 10 – tenth of smallest division
• 1 S.F.
90

0 100
 Measuring length
• What is value of large division?
– Ans: 1 cm
• What is value of small division?
– Ans: 1 mm
• To what decimal place is
measurement estimated?
– Ans: 0.1 mm (3.48 cm)
 Scale dictates precision

• What is length in top figure?

– Ans: 4.6 cm
• What is length in middle figure?
– Ans: 4.56 cm
• What is length in lower figure?
– Ans: 3.0 cm
 Measurement of liquid volumes
• The same rules apply for
determining precision of
measurement
• When division is not a single unit
(e.g. 0.2 mL) then situation is a little
more complex. Estimate to
nearest .02 mL – 9.36 ± .02 mL
 Reading the volume in a burette

• The scale increases downwards, in

contrast to graduated cylinder
• What is large division?
– Ans: 1 mL
• What is small division?
– Ans: 0.1 mL
Significant Figures in Measurement
The numbers reported in a measurement are limited by
the measuring tool
Significant figures in a measurement include the known
digits plus one estimated digit
Significant Figures in Measurement
Every measurement we make includes some uncertainty.
◦ We can never measure something exactly or know a
quantity with absolute certainty.
The numbers (quantity) we use must tell us two things:
◦ 1. How large or small
◦ 2. How well were you able to measure it
Significant Figures in Measurement
The digits we record in a measurement (certain and
uncertain) are called, significant figures
The greater the # of sig. figs in a measurement, the greater
the certainty.
Counting Significant Figures
Number of Significant Figures

38.15 cm 4
5.6 ft 2
65.6 lb ___
122.55 m ___

Complete: All non-zero digits in a measured number are significant

Leading Zeros
Number of Significant Figures

0.008 mm 1

0.0156 oz 3

0.0042 lb ____

0.000262 mL ____

Complete: Leading zeros in decimal numbers are not significant.

Sandwiched Zeros
Number of Significant Figures

50.8 mm 3

2001 min4

0.702 lb ____

0.00405 m ____
Complete: Zeros between nonzero numbers are significant .
Trailing Zeros
Number of Significant Figures 25,000 in. 2
200 yr 1
48,600 gal 3
25,005,000 g ____
Complete: Trailing zeros in numbers without decimals are not
significant
Determining Which Digits Are
Significant
All non zero digits are significant
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
All zeros between two non zero digits are significant
5004 4 sig figs
All zeros to the right of both a number and a decimal in a decimal
number are significant
3.4000 5 sig figs
Learning Check SF1
A. Which answers contain 3 significant figures?
1) 0.4760 2) 0.00476 3) 4760
B. All the zeros are significant in
1) 0.00307 2) 25.300 3) 2.050 x 103

C. 534,675 rounded to 3 significant figures is

1) 535 2) 535,000 3) 5.35 x 105
Learning Check SF2
In which set(s) do both numbers contain the same number of
significant figures?
1) 22.0 and 22.00
2) 400.0 and 40
3) 0.000015 and 150,000
Learning Check SF4
In which set(s) do both numbers contain the same number of
significant figures?
1) 22.0 and 22.00
2) 400.0 and 40
3) 0.000015 and 150,000
Learning Check SF5
State the number of significant figures in each of the following:
A. 0.030 m 1 2 3

B. 4.050 L 2 3 4

C. 0.0008 g 1 2 4

D. 3.00 m 1 2 3

E. 2,080,000 3 5 7
Significant Numbers in Calculations
The result of a calculation based on measurement cannot
be more precise than more the least precise measurement
Multiplication or Division
In multiplication or division, the answer must contain the
same number of significant figure as in the measurement
that has the least number of significant figure
 2.3 has two significant figure

(190.6)(2.3) = 438.38
190.6 has four significant figure Answer given by calculator

The Answer should have two significant figure

Because 2.3 is the number with the fewest
significant figure

Round off this Drop these three

digit to four
438.38 digits

The correct answer is 440 or 4.4 x102

 Learning Check
A. 2.19 X 4.2 =
1) 9 2) 9.2 3) 9.198

B. 4.311 ÷ 0.07 =
1) 61.58 2) 62 3) 60
C. 2.54 X 0.0028 =
0.0105 X 0.060
1) 11.3 2) 11 3) 0.041
 Additional or Subtraction
• The Result of an additional or subtraction must be
expressed to the same precision as the least precise
measurement

• The result must be rounded to the same number of

desimal places as the value with the fewest desimal
places
 Add 125.17, 129 , 52.2

Least precise number 125.17

Answer given by
129.
calculator 52.2
306.37
Correct Answer

306.37
The answer has the same number of decimal places as the
measurement with the fewest decimal places.

25.2 one decimal place

+ 1.34 two decimal places
26.54
answer 26.5 one decimal place
 Learning Check
In each calculation, round the answer to the correct number of
significant figures.
A. 235.05 + 19.6 + 2.1 =
1) 256.75 2) 256.8 3) 257

B. 58.925 - 18.2 =
1) 40.725 2) 40.73 3) 40.7