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Significant Figures. Why care?. Allows us to be accurate with the information we actually have. Rules. All nonzero numbers are significant. Ex: 432 = 3 sig figs 0’s between nonzero numbers are significant Ex: 401 = 3 sig figs
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Why care? • Allows us to be accurate with the information we actually have.
Rules • All nonzero numbers are significant. • Ex: 432 = 3 sig figs • 0’s between nonzero numbers are significant Ex: 401 = 3 sig figs • Trailing zeros are not significant unless there is a decimal point. Ex: 4000 = 1 sig fig Ex: 400.0 = 4 sig figs • Leading zeros are not significant. Ex: 0.000302 = sig figs
Multiplying and Dividing Measurements • The answer will have the same number of sig figs as the measurement with the least amount of sig figs. Ex: 5.00 g / 2.5 mL = 2.0 g/mL 5.00 g / 2.500 mL = 2.00 g/mL
Adding and Subtracting Measurements • The answer will have the same amount of numbers after the decimal as the measurement with the least amount of numbers after the decimal. • Ex: 4.38 g + 4.2 g = 8.58 g = 8.6 g • 8.73 mL – 2.224 mL = 6.51 mL