How many significant digits are in 89015
The correct answer and explanation is:
The number 89015 has 5 significant digits.
To explain why, it is important to understand the rules for determining significant digits (or significant figures). These are the digits in a number that carry meaningful information about its precision.
- Non-zero digits are always significant: Any digit from 1 to 9 is always counted as significant. In the number 89015, all the digits 8, 9, 0, 1, and 5 are non-zero, so they are significant.
- Zeros between non-zero digits are significant: This rule applies to numbers like 707 or 305, where zeros between non-zero digits count as significant. However, in 89015, the zero is between two non-zero digits, so it is counted as significant.
- Leading zeros are not significant: These are zeros placed before the first non-zero digit. For example, in the number 0.00456, the zeros are not counted as significant. But in 89015, there are no leading zeros.
- Trailing zeros in a decimal number are significant: For example, 1.200 has four significant digits, because the zeros are part of the precision of the number. However, 89015 is not a decimal number, so this rule doesn’t apply here.
Thus, each digit in 89015 is significant, and the total number of significant digits is 5. When reporting measurements or performing calculations, the number of significant digits is important because it reflects the precision of the measurement. This can influence rounding and the final results of mathematical operations.