How many significant figures does each of the following numbers have?
a) 53.2
b) 0.53
c) 5.320
d) 0.0532
Solution:
Part a
All nonzero digits are significant, therefore, 53.2 has 3 significant figures.
Part b
The number 0.53 can be written in scientific notation as 5.3×10-1. Therefore, 0.53 has 2 significant figures.
Part c
Trailing zeros are significant because they indicate increased precision. Therefore, 5.320 has 4 significant figures.
Part d
The leading zeros are not significant but just locate the decimal point. Therefore, 0.0532 has only 3 significant figures.
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