## Confused about sig figs

Alice Chang 2H
Posts: 101
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:18 am

### Confused about sig figs

I'm not sure if this is just me being dumb and not getting it or not, but I searched up the rules for sig figs and found the basic rules for multiplication and division, which states that after the process of * or /, the least amount of sig figs throughout the entire process determines how many sig figs are used in the answer.

So if I do $(2.01 \times 10^2)\cdot (33.03 \times 10^2)$ , then the end result should have 3 sig figs at most (check me please).

But does that mean it'll equal to $6.63 \times 10^5$ or like $66.3 \times 10^4$ or does it not matter at all as long as there's 3 numbers?

I'm confused.

Haley Chun 4H
Posts: 54
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2019 12:18 am

### Re: Confused about sig figs

I think it should be the first (6.63 x 10*5) since the definition of scientific notation is a number between 1-10 (excluding 10) is multiplied by a power of 10.

Maia_Jackson_2C
Posts: 101
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:17 am

### Re: Confused about sig figs

I think that either way of writing the answer works since 33.03 x10^2 is written with a number higher than 10 (assuming this problem came from the textbook?), but both answers are technically the same number.