Significant Figure Primer

• All nonzero values are significant.
• Example
• 536 has three significant figures.
• Zeros between nonzero digits are also significant.
• Example
• 6703 has four significant figures.

• Placeholder zeros

• Zeros to the left of a nonzero digit are not significant.
• Example

– 0.0043 has two significant figures.

• Example

– 0.0600 has three significant figures.

• Zeros to the right or after a nonzero digit up to the decimal point are not significant.
• Examples
• 7000 has only one significant figure.
• 32040 has four significant figures.
• 50.0 has three significant figures; all the zeros are significant.