SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

Made easy
WHAT ARE SIGNIFICANT FIGURES?
 The number of significant figures expressed in a
measurement or calculation implies how precisely the
quantity has been measured or calculated.
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES CAN BE
DONE BY A SET OF FOUR RULES
WHICH ARE:
1- NON-ZERO NUMBERS ARE
ALWAYS SIGNIFICANT:

342
63
2
2- SANDWICHED ZEROES ARE ALWAYS
SIGNIFICANT:

3809
5463420000063635
3
103
 LEADING ZEROES (ZEROES BEFORE THE NUMBER)
3-
ARE NEVER SIGNIFICANT FIGURES:

002
0.0045
00906
4- TRAILING ZEROES (ZEROES AFTER THE NUMBER)
ARE ONLY SIGNIFICANT IF THERE IS A DECIMAL POINT.

1000
1000.
123.00
MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION OF
SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS:
 In division:
 048/41 = 1.170731707 1.2
 481/41 = 11.73170732 12

 In multiplication:
 5004 x 6542 = 32736168 32740000
 50041 x 6542 = 327368222 327400000
ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OF
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES:
 We add or subtract and round according to the least
value of decimal numbers after the point.
54.21
- 18.8722
40.33 40.34