Sig Figs

[Harmony Becerra]

Just to clarify.. And please correct me if I am wrong. Is the general rule for sig figs: for multiplication and division, keep the least amount of sigfigs that the problem has? For addition and subtraction: keep the least amount of decimal places that the problem has?

[Philip Lee 1L]

Yes, that is correct! You should also keep in mind the sig fig rules when solving problems with log, such as pH problems. The number you get after applying log to a certain value should have a number of decimal places equal to the number of sig figs in the original value.

e.g.
-log (1.0 x 10^-7) = 7.00

1.0 x 10^-7 has two sig figs, so your final answer must have two decimal places

[Theodore_Herring_1A]

Yes, you are correct. If you are ever unclear, Dr. Lavelle has a very helpful page on his class site.

[Joanna Pham - 2D]

Yes that is correct! I would not worry about significant figures too much for this class though. According to the TAs, they will not pay too much attention to significant figures this quarter, meaning they won't take off points if you use an incorrect number of sig figs. Unless the question specifically says to use the correct number of sig figs.