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Mathematics 9 Online
OpenStudy (anonymous):

Really simple significant figures problem? so the problem is: 412.9/0.58 i got 711.89 so 2 sig figs how would we write this i know soo stupid but please help

OpenStudy (anonymous):

You write with 2 sig figs?

jimthompson5910 (jim_thompson5910):

711.89 is 5 sig figs, so you need to reduce it down to 2

jimthompson5910 (jim_thompson5910):

so you would start from the right and chop off digits to go from 711.89 to 711.8 to 711. to 71 then add on a 0 to get 710 That has 2 sig figs since that last zero isn't a sig fig

jimthompson5910 (jim_thompson5910):

Another way to think of it is that we're rounding to the nearest ten place value (not tenth)

OpenStudy (anonymous):

can it be 7.1x10^2

jimthompson5910 (jim_thompson5910):

that works too since that's just the equivalent form in scientific notation

jimthompson5910 (jim_thompson5910):

and that's more clear that there are 2 sig figs since that 0 at the end goes away

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