How do you do Sigfigs? And can you provide an example of one?

Question

kenljw · Answer

Significant figures has to do with accuracy
1.3456X2.8 = 3.76768
the above assumes exact values, with inexact values the result can't have any more digits then the least
1.3456X2.8 = 3.8     rounded up

anonymous · Answer

$$
50,000\to 50\times 10^3

$$

anonymous · Answer

If you have $$
\$5,000,000
$$Then you aren't going to worry about $\$5$.

anonymous · Answer

I still don't understand. =S

anonymous · Answer

You'll be concerned with about $\$1,000$

anonymous · Answer

$$
\$5,000,\color{blue}{000}
$$The blue digits are insignificant because they are chump change.  $$

\$5,000,\color{blue}{000}\

\$5,000,\color{blue}{980}\

\$5,000,\color{blue}{032}\
$$These are all pretty much the same since they're relatively small.

anonymous · Answer

So you'd just round it to $$
\$5,000k
$$

anonymous · Answer

Sigfigs are number that are important, so they can't be rounded.

anonymous · Answer

I'm getting there

anonymous · Answer

Some numbers are put in place just for the sake of showing order of magnitude.
For example: $$
\color{blue}{0.00}5
$$Here we need to write the $0$s, but they are not significant.

kenljw · Answer

1.23 has three significant values
1.00 has three significant values, zero must be shown to show accrarcy

anonymous · Answer

Another example might be$$ 
10,0\color{blue}{00}
$$

anonymous · Answer

Any digit which is not $0$ is significant, but any $0$ may just be there for the sake of showing order of magnitude.

anonymous · Answer

When you have $101$, it is clear that the $0$ between the $1$'s is significant.

kenljw · Answer

Significant figures are generally used with scientific notation
1.25X10^5  has three significant figures

anonymous · Answer

All zeros between non-zeros are significant.
All zeroes to the left of the left most non-zero are not significant.
For zeros to the right of the right most non-zero, it is ambiguous.

kenljw · Answer

1.280X10^6 has four significant figures

anonymous · Answer

You can get rid of this ambiguity by using scientific notation, in which all figures are significant.

anonymous · Answer

So while $100$ may have $1$, $2$, or $3$ significant figures.  
We know that $\underbrace{1.0}_{2}\times 10^2$ has only $2$ significant figures.

anonymous · Answer

@zkrup Medal please.