How many significant figures are there in 0.0006? Express your answer in numbers (1,2,3,4,5, etc.) only and do not type in “sf” “sig fig” or “significant figures” after. Enter your answer 15. How many significant figures are there in 0.0605? Express your answer in numbers (1,2,3,4,5, etc.) only and do not type in “sf” “sig fig”
The correct answer and explanation is:
- 1
- 4
Explanation:
Question 14:
The number 0.0006 has 1 significant figure.
- When determining significant figures, leading zeros (zeros to the left of the first non-zero digit) are never counted.
- In the number 0.0006, the leading zeros are not significant. Only the digit 6 is considered significant.
Therefore, 0.0006 has just 1 significant figure.
Question 15:
The number 0.0605 has 4 significant figures.
- First, we note that the leading zero before the decimal point (in this case, the zero before “6”) is not significant.
- However, the zeros after the decimal point, but before the first non-zero digit, are considered place-holding zeros and are not counted in determining significant figures.
- The digits 6, 0, 5 are all significant because they are non-zero numbers, and zeros between non-zero digits are significant.
Thus, the number 0.0605 contains 4 significant figures: 6, 0, 5, and the final zero is considered significant because it is after a decimal point and between non-zero digits.
Key Points to Remember:
- Leading zeros (zeros before the first non-zero digit) are never counted as significant figures.
- Captive zeros (zeros between non-zero digits) are always counted as significant.
- Trailing zeros in a decimal number are significant because they show the precision of the measurement.
This system of counting significant figures helps in maintaining the precision and accuracy of measurements. It is particularly important in scientific contexts where the number of significant figures indicates the precision of the measurement or calculation.