5/5/22, 7:16 PM Significant Figures

Standard Form
 

2.1  Significant Figures

 
  Definition  
     
Significant figure shows the level of accuracy of a measurement.
   
 
All digits are significant figures except the zero before the first non-zero digit.

 
  Example  
     
  (i)   0.032 → 2 s.f.  
         
  (ii)   0.0740 → 3 s.f.  
 
Integers:
 
The value of significant figure for zero as the last digit depends on the required level of accuracy.

 
  Example  
     
(i)   24 000 → 5 s.f.
   
(if the level of accuracy is to the nearest one)

         
(ii)   24 000 → 2 s.f.
   
(if the level of accuracy is to the nearest thousand)

         
(iii)   24 000 → 3 s.f.
   
(if the level of accuracy is to the nearest hundred)

 
Round of significant figures:
 
For integers, the decimal point is placed behind the last digit.
The first non-zero digit is a significant figure.
The digits before the decimal point will be placed with 0 when rounding off.

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5/5/22, 7:16 PM Significant Figures

  Example  
     
(i)   Round off 7 861 to 2 significant figures.
   

         
    The digit to be rounded off is 8.

6 > 5, thus add 1 to 8.

 
6 and 1 are placed before decimal point.  
Thus, replace 6 and 1 with 0.

∴ 7 861 = 7 900 (2 s.f)

         
(ii)   Round off 8 213 to 3 significant figures.
   

         
    The digit to be rounded off is 1.

3 < 5, thus digit 1 remains unchanged.

 
3 is placed before decimal point.  
Thus, replace 3 with 0.

∴ 8 213 = 8 210 (3 s.f)

         
(iii)   Round off 24.68 to 1 significant figure.
   

         
    The digit to be rounded off is 2.

4 < 5, thus digit 2 remains unchanged.

4 is placed before decimal point.

   
Thus, replace 4 with 0.

6 and 8 are dropped.

∴ 24.68 = 20 (1 s.f)

2.2  Standard Form

 
  Definition  
    
Standard form is a way to write a single number in the form of A × 10  where 1n
≤ A < 10 and n is an integer.
   

 
  Example  
     
4
  (i)   82 000 = 8.2 × 10  
         
−3
  (ii)   0.00464 = 4.64 × 10  
 
Basic operations involving numbers in standard form:
 
 S × 10n + T × 10n

= (S + T ) × 10n

 
  Example  
     
4 4
 3.44 × 10 + 4.20 × 10

  = (3.44 + 4.20) × 104  

= 7.64 × 104 .
     
 
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5/5/22, 7:16 PM Significant Figures
n n
 S × 10 − T × 10

= (S − T ) × 10n

 
  Example  
     
−5 −6
 4.52 × 10 − 4.8 × 10

= 4.52 × 101 × 10−6 − 4.8 × 10−6

  = (45.2 − 4.80) × 10−6  

= 40.4 × 10−6

= 4.04 × 10−5 .
     
 
 (S × 10m ) × (T × 10n )

= (S × T ) × 10m+n

 
  Contoh  
     
4 2
 2 × 10 × 6.2 × 10

= (2 × 6.2) × 104+2

= 12.4 × 106
   
1 6
= 1.24 × 10 × 10

= 1.24 × 101+6

= 1.24 × 107 .
     
 
 (S × 10m ) ÷ (T × 10n )

= (S ÷ T ) × 10m−n

 
  Example  
     
5
8.2 × 10
 
2 × 103
​

  8.2  
= × 105−3
2
​

= 4.1 × 102 .
 

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