Scientific Tutor
Chem – Significant Figures Part 3
Author: Andrew
How do we treat ZEROs to the right of NON-ZERO numbers in significant figures?
ZEROs to the right of NON-ZERO numbers are most difficult to determine for significant figures because sometimes they are significant and some times they are not significant. Whether they are significant or not significant all depends on whether the number you are presented with has a decimal dot shown.
If your number DOES NOT show a decimal dot then all the ZEROs to the right of NON-ZERO numbers are NOT significant.
Example: 6800 ← Number of significant figures = 2
If your number DOES show a decimal dot then all the ZEROs to the right of to the right of NON-ZERO numbers ARE significant.
Example: 0.02100 ← Number of significant figures = 4
Examples: Determine the number of significant figures. VIDEO demonstration of the significant figures part 3 from the examples below.
| Measured Number | Number of Significant Figures |
| 73400 | 3 |
| 52.00 | 4 |
| 900000 | 1 |
| 0.085110 | 5 |
| 670. | 3 |
| 0.19500000 | 8 |
PRACTICE PROBLEMS: Determine the number of significant figures.
| Measured Number | Number of Significant Figures |
| 44.000 | 5 |
| 8100 | 2 |
| 3600.00 | 6 |
| 7480. | 4 |
| 6553200 | 5 |
| 0.8200 | 4 |
| 9140.0 | 5 |
Posted in Chemistry
