Units and Measurements

UNITS AND MEASUREMENTS
UNITS AND
MEASUREMENTS
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
Significant Figures:
 A significant figure is defined as the figure which is considered
reasonably trustworthy in number .
Ex:
=3.141592654 (upto 10 digits)
=3.14 (with 3 figures)
=3.1416 (upto 5 digits)
 The significant figures indicate the extent to which the readings

are reliable.
Rules for determining the number of significant figures:
 All the non-zero digits in a given number are significant without any
regard to the location of the decimal point, if any.
Ex: 18452 has five significant digits.
1845.2 or 184.52 all have the same number of significant digits,
that is 5.
 All zeros occurring between two non-zero digits are significant

without any regard to the location of decimal point, if any.
Ex:
106008 has six significant digits.
106.008 or 1.6008 has also got six significant digits.
 If the number is less than one, all zeros to the right of the decimal
point but to the first non-zero digit are not significant.
Ex:
0.000308
In this example all zeros before 3 are non-significant.
a) All zeros to the right of a decimal point are significant if they are
not followed by a non-zero digit.
Ex:
30.00 has 4 significant digits.
b) All zeros to the right of the last non-zero digit in a number

having no decimal point are not significant
Ex:
2030 has 3 significant digits

1. More the number of significant figures shows more MCQS

the….
a) accuracy
b) error
c) number of figures
d) value
MCQS
2. If a measured quantity has ‘n’ significant figures, the
reliable digits in it are….
a) n
b) n-1
c) 2n
d) 𝒏
𝟐
ORDER OF MAGNITUDE
ORDER OF MAGNITUDE
 The order of magnitude of a physical quantity is the value of
its magnitude rounded off to the nearest integral power of
10.
1.Find the order of magnitude of :
a) 123 kg = 1.23 × 102 kg.
The number before decimal is less than five, hence the order of
magnitude is 102 kg.
b) 6527 km = 6.527 × 103 km
The number before decimal is 5 or more than 5 then, the order of
magnitude = 103+1 km = 104 km.
2.State the order of magnitude of duration of a day.

Solution :
Duration of a day = 24 hours

= 24 × 60 × 60 seconds
= 86400 seconds
= 8.6400 × 104 seconds
The order of magnitude is 105 s.
3.Give the order of magnitudes of mass of proton, where the mass of
proton is 1.67 × 10–27 kg.
Solution :
Mass of proton = 1.67 × 10–27 kg.

The order of magnitude or nearest power of 10 is 10 –27 kg.
Rules for significant figures
 All non – zero digits are significant figures
Number Significant figure
16 2
1683 4
16835 5
 All zero occurring between non – zero digits are significant
figures
802 3
80004 5
 All zero to the right of a decimal point and to the right of a
non – zero digits are significant

0.40 2
0.030 2
 The power of ten are not counted as significant digits e.g . 1.4 10–2
has only two significant figures 1 and 4.
 All zero to the right of the last non – zero digits are
significant figures
Number Significant Figure
40 1
410 2
40240 4
 All zero to the left of a non - zero digits are not significant figures
Number Significant Figure

0.08 1
0.008 1
0.0806 3
DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
Numbers Significant
0.05718 4
93.26 4
2.35  10-19 3
1.3725  109 5
1. The number of significant figures in 0.0009 is
MCQS
a) 4 b) 3
c) 2 d) 1
2. The number of significant figure in 0.400 is
a) 1 b) 2
c) 3 d) 4
3. Significant figure depends upon the ______ of
the measuring instrument.
a) length b) readings
c) number d) accuracy
ROUNDING OFF NUMBERS

Rounding off numbers:

 The process of omitting the non-significant digits and retaining
only the desired number of significant digits, incorporating the
required modifications to the last significant digit is called
rounding off the number.
Rules for rounding off numbers:
 The preceding digit is raised by 1 if the immediate insignificant digit
to the dropped is more than 5.
Ex: 4728 is rounded off to three significant figures as 4730.

 In the above the digit to be dropped should be less than 5, but

given is 5. So it should be any digit less than 5.
Ex:
4723 is rounded off to three significant figure than it is 4720.
 If the immediate insignificant digit to be dropped is 5 then there

will be two different cases.
Case-1
If the preceding digit is even, it is to be unchanged and 5 is dropped.
Ex:
4.7253 is to rounded off two decimal places. The digit to be dropped

here is 5 (along with 3) and the preceding digit 2 is even and hence to
be retained as two only 4.7253=4.72.
Case-2
If the preceding digit is odd, it is to be raised by 1.
Ex:
4.7153 is to rounded off to two decimal places. As the preceding digit 1
is odd, it is to be raised by 1 as 2.
4.7153=4.72
Rules for arithmetic operations with significant figures:
 In multiplication or division, the final should retain only that many

significant figures are there in the original number with the least
number of significant figures.
Ex:
1.2×2.54 × 3.26=9.93648. But the result should be limited to the least

number of significant digit-that is two digit only. So. the final answer is
9.9.
 In addition or subtraction the final result should retain only that many
decimal places as are there in the number with the least decimal places.
Ex:
2.2+4.08+3.12+6.38=15.78. Finally we should have only one decimal

place and hence 15.78 is to be rounded off as 15.8
1. Round off to 3 significant figures for 4.9283…..

MCQS
a) 4.92 HINT:
b) 4.93 If the digit to be dropped in 8 greater than 5
then the preceding digit is to be increased by-1.
c) 4.94
d) 4.91
Thank
you…

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UNITS AND MEASUREMENTS

=3.1416 (upto 5 digits)

 The significant figures indicate the extent to which the readings

 All zeros occurring between two non-zero digits are significant

30.00 has 4 significant digits.

b) All zeros to the right of the last non-zero digit in a number

2030 has 3 significant digits

1. More the number of significant figures shows more MCQS

2.State the order of magnitude of duration of a day.

Duration of a day = 24 hours

Mass of proton = 1.67 × 10–27 kg.

Number Significant figure

Number Significant Figure

DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

2. The number of significant figure in 0.400 is

ROUNDING OFF NUMBERS

Rounding off numbers:

Ex: 4728 is rounded off to three significant figures as 4730.

 In the above the digit to be dropped should be less than 5, but

 If the immediate insignificant digit to be dropped is 5 then there

If the preceding digit is even, it is to be unchanged and 5 is dropped.

4.7253 is to rounded off two decimal places. The digit to be dropped

If the preceding digit is odd, it is to be raised by 1.

Rules for arithmetic operations with significant figures:

 In multiplication or division, the final should retain only that many

1.2×2.54 × 3.26=9.93648. But the result should be limited to the least

2.2+4.08+3.12+6.38=15.78. Finally we should have only one decimal

1. Round off to 3 significant figures for 4.9283…..

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