RULES FOR SIGNIFICANT FIGURES/DIGITS

The number of significant digits in an answer to a calculation

will depend on the number of significant digits in the given data,
as discussed in the rules below.
When are Digits Significant?
Non-zero digits are always significant. Thus, 55 has two
significant digits, and 55.2 has three significant digits.
With zeroes, the situation is a little more complicated:
a. Zeroes placed before other digits are not significant; 0.0054
has two significant digits.
b. Zeroes placed between other digits are always significant;
2006 km has four significant digits.
c. Zeroes placed after other digits but behind a decimal point
are significant; 5.20 has three significant digits.
d. Zeroes at the end of a number are significant only if they
are behind a decimal point as in (c). Otherwise, it is
impossible to tell if they are significant. For example, in the
number 3500, it is not clear if the zeroes are significant or
not. The number of significant digits in 3500 is at least two,
but could be three or four. To avoid uncertainty, use
scientific notation to place significant zeroes behind a
decimal point:

3.500 103 four significant digits

3.50 103 three significant digits

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3.5 103
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two significant digits

Multiplication, Division and Trigonometric functions
In a calculation involving multiplication, division, trigonometric
functions, etc., the number of significant digits in an answer
should equal the least number of significant digits in any one of
the numbers being multiplied, divided etc.
Thus in evaluating cos(  x) , where  = 0.058 cm-1 (two
significant digits) and x = 2.67 cm (three significant digits), the
answer should have two significant digits.
Whole numbers / exact numbers
All exact values or conversion factors have an unlimited (never
ending) number of significant figures.
They are called exact values because they are measured in
complete units and are not divided into smaller parts. For
example, if a pump uses 4.3 kW of power, then 2 identical
pumps use 8.6 kW:
4.3 kW {2 significant digits} x 2 {unlimited sig. dig.} = 8.6 kW
{2 significant digits}
Addition and Subtraction
When quantities are being added or subtracted, the number of
decimal places (not significant digits) in the answer should be
the same as the least number of decimal places in any of the
numbers being added or subtracted.
a) First perform all the operations.
b) Round off your result so that you include only 1 uncertain
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digit.
The last digit of any measurement is considered uncertain.
When an uncertain digit is added to (or subtracted from) a
certain digit, the result is an uncertain digit.

Example: 253. ml + 1.8 ml + 9.16 ml = 263.96 ml

Answer = 264 ml (3 sig figs; only 1 uncertain digit)
Notice that the answer is rounded to the same precision as the
least precise measurement, which was 253. ml
Intermediate Answers
When doing multi-step calculations, keep at least one more
significant digit in intermediate results than needed in your final
answer.
For instance, if a final answer requires two significant digits,
then carry at least three significant digits in calculations. If you
round-off all your intermediate answers to only two digits, you
are discarding the information contained in the third digit, and as
a result the second digit in your final answer might be incorrect.

Multiplication / Division combined with Addition / Subtraction

First, follow the order of operations that you learned in math.
(Operations in order of precedence – brackets, powers & roots,
multiplication & division, addition & subtraction). Use the
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appropriate significant figures rules, as stated above, depending

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on which operation you are performing at that time. (Example:
1. multiply/divide/trigonometric functions; or 2. add/subtract
functions). At the end of each step, you must ask yourself,
"What is the next operation that I will perform on the number
that I just calculated?” If the next operation is in the same group
of operations that you just used, (Example: 1.
multiply/divide/trigonometric; or 2. add/subtract) then do NOT
round off yet.
If the next operation is from the other group, then you must
round off that number before moving on to the next operation.
Rules for Rounding
The following procedure is used to round off numbers during
computations:
i) If the round-off is done by retaining n digits, the last
retained digit is increased by one if the first discarded
digit is 6 or more
ii) If the last retained digit is odd and the first discarded
digit is 5 or 5 followed by zeros, the last retained digit is
increased by one
iii) In all other cases, the last retained digit is unchanged.
Potential Mistakes to Avoid:
1. Writing more digits in an answer (intermediate or final)
than justified by the number of digits in the data.
2. Rounding-off, say, to two digits in an intermediate answer,
and then writing three digits in the final answer.
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Exercises:
1. ekt = ?, where k = 0.0125 s-1, and t = 39 s.
2. ab/c = ?, where a = 583 J, b = 63.67 J, and c = 14.67
3. x + y + z = ?, where x = 58.1, y = 87, and z = 45.789
4. m - n - p = ?, where m = 35.6, n = 31.1, and p = 1.43

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