Test Accuracy

[Shannon Moore 2L]

For questions with numerical answers on our midterms/final how exact are we expected to be in our answers?
i.e. rounding, sig figs, etc. Will there be specific directions on the test to get exact answers or will there be a certain amount of leniency?

[LarisaAssadourian2K]

Hi! I was not sure about the exact accuracy of the final answers either. However, I do think it would be best to keep all answers at around 3 to 4 sig-figs. I've learned that even though it's good to be accurate with your answers, having too many sig-figs in your answer could make it confusing.

[Jamie2002]

You can also look at sig fig rules - there are a certain amount of sig figs based on what kind of mathematical operation was used in the problem.

[Alvin Lai 3J]

I read on a different post that the midterms and quizzes will be multiple choice, so I don't think we have to worry about sig figs and rounding.

[Andreas Krumbein 1L]

Each problem will have a specific number of significant figures which you should adhere to. For problems that show up on the quizzes and tests, the number of significant figures will likely be in between 2-5, which you can keep in mind, but if a problem with 7 sig figs appears (however unlikely that may be) you should use 7 significant figures in your answer. Just review the sig fig rules and you should be fine.

[Joshua Swift]

You usually want to end up with the same amount of sig figs as you started. Once you find how many are in the initial value you use to start your calculations you want to preserve that amount.

[Charlie Russell 2L]

The amount of significant figures used in the numerical data of the question will be the amount of sig figs you should use in your answer!

[Kathy_Li_1H]

Hi! My rule of thumb for sig figs is usually to identify the number of sig figs in the given values and go with the smallest number of sig figs. My TA also suggested that we should try to have at least one decimal place.

[Gillian Gabrielsen2F]

I'd imagine we just need the correct number of sig figs and the correct units. Even if the test is multiple choice like some people have said, it's a good habit to write down the correct units and sig figs while working out problems. I know I got some chem/physics/calc problems incorrect in the past because I forgot to write the units down.

[Grace_Remphrey_2J]

Hi! I believe Dr. Lavelle asked us to use the traditional sig fig rules - in the final answer, use the same number of sig figs as the smallest given value in the original problem. Hope this helped

[Jalyn Davis 3D]

The exam will be multiple choice, so sig figs and rounding hopefully will not be too much of an issue.

[Chinmayi Mutyala 3H]

I believe this depends on how strict your TA is on sig figs but I would round to the correct number of sig figs on your final answer based on the numbers given to you in the problem just to be safe.

[abby hyman]

Although I believe for this quarter the exams are multiple-choice so it is not as important, usually, it is good to have your answers in 3 or 4 sig figs. Also, it does depend on the TA since they are grading but usually there is a range for the answers to account for rounding errors.

[Yolanda_Xing_3A]

There is a page on chem website called “ everything you need to know about sig Fig” that answers most of your questions.