pH sig figs

[Malia Shitabata 1F]

When you have pOH and you're trying to find the pH should the pH have the same number of decimal places as the pOH? For example, if your pOH is 2.735 would you subtract from 14 or 14.000 or something in between? Because I feel like if you subtract from 14 and round based on decimal places then it can be more inaccurate because it's a difference of 11 pH vs 11.265 pH

[Sanjana Munagala_1j]

Yes it would reflect the number of decimal places of pOH. 14.00 is just a set number, for example when you would use molar mass. You can adjust the number of decimal places in Kw to match with the decimal places in pOH.

Hope that helps!

[Alice Chang 2H]

If your pOH value has 3 sig figs (counted after the decimal!), you use that to calculate your pH by subtracting from 14.000 (has 3 sig figs as well)
There's a worksheet on the chem 14B website that explains sig figs further if you need more help :)

[Abhi Vempati 2H]

This link on the Chem 14B website (titled "Everything you want to know about Significant Figures") was really helpful for me: https://lavelle.chem.ucla.edu/wp-conten ... OUT_SF.pdf

The second page has the rules for logarithms, and I hope it helps!

[Brandon Valafar]

From what I understand, you do the least amount of sig figs in the problem behind the decimal for pH. The link on Lavelle's website has a more in depth description though.

[805097738]

One of the UAs said that the amount of sig figs in the problem is the amount of sig figs you place after the decimal for pH