Easy Way to Calculate Sigfigs

[ginnyyao1L]

When I first learned sigfigs I used this method and I still use it now! Super easy and memorable (:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGiYTJu_M84

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jEGdWhOfGE

[604746385]

Helpful thanks!

[Fayt Sarreal 1G]

So in other words,"trailing zeroes" are counted as significant figures if a decimal in present? Or am I interpreting that video wrong...?

[sarathornburgh1b]

If a value has decimals that are zeroes (such as 1500.00), would that be considered having a decimal present or absent?

[Arie Hakimi 1L]

If a value has decimals that are zeroes (such as 1500.00), would that be considered having a decimal present or absent?

If your value is 1500.00, the decimal is present and the full value is used to show that your answer is significant (i.e. if your value was 1499.996 prior to rounding, and the question required us to maintain 6 sig-figs, we would round to 1500.00)

[BrianaBarr2A]

So if a decimal is present, the numbers before it and after it are counted and that's how many are sig figs? Then, if there is no decimal in the number, there is only one sig fig?

[Katherine_Zhuo_3B]

Yes, if there is a decimal, you would count the non-zero digits as sig figs. For example, 300. would be 3 sig figs. In cases such as numbers like 0.00500 however, since the preceding zeroes are simply place holders to put decimals in the correct location, the only numbers that are counted as sig figs would be the bolded digits, 0.00500
If it is a number such as 300 with no decimal, then there would only be 1 sig fig as the zeroes do not have a measurement decision in that particular context.