Lesson Plan

Date: October 26 – 30, 2020 (Lesson 8)

Subject: Mathematics
Grade: 8
Topic: Number Theory - Approximation and Estimation
Sub – Topic: Significant Figures

Specific Objectives: By the end of the lesson students should be able to:
1. Explain the meaning of significant figures
2. Write a given number to a specified number of significant figures.
3. Display willingness to learn and cooperate by participating in discussion and class
activity.
Required Materials:
❖ Ali F, W. Bostock L. Chandler S. Layne C, E. Shepherd A. Smith E. (2011) STP
Mathematics for Jamaica. Nelson Thornes Ltd
❖ Toolsie, R. (2004), Mathematics: A Complete Course with CXC Questions Volume 1,
Caribbean Educational Publishers

What are significant figures?

Sometimes you may be asked to give your answer to a certain number of significant figures
instead of decimal places.
The significant figures of a number are the digits that carry meaning contributing to its
measurement resolution.

Rules to determine significant figures in a number:

1. All non-zero digits are significant.
2. The first non-zero digit, reading from left to right, is the most significant
figure. It has the greatest place value compared to the other non-zero
digits.
3. All zeros between two significant digits are significant.
4. Only the final zero, or trailing zero, in the decimal portion of a number is
significant.

1
Let's look at the number 140347 for instance.
There are six digits or figures in the number. Starting from the left, 1 is the first non-zero digit
and 7 is the last. The number has six significant figures.

Other Examples
3.1456 has 5 significant figures
150 has 2 significant figures (1 and 5 give useful information, 0 is a placeholder)
0.00035 has 2 significant figures (zeros are place holders)
0.0350 has 3 significant figures (measurement made accurate to that last digit, trailing
zero)
1006 has 4 significant figures (count zeros between natural numbers)

Activity: Determine the number of significant figures in each of the following:

1. 26.0
2. 13245
3. 10190
4. 0.00567
5. 0.01500

Activity: Round each of the following to the given significant figures in the brackets:
1. 1200 (1 significant figure)
2. 9029 (3 significant figures)
3. 0.008710 (2 significant figures)
4. 2020 (3 significant figures)
5. 5.858 (2 significant figures)