The number 33.2 has THREE significant figures because all of the digits present are non-zero. 2. Zeros between two non-zero digits ARE significant. 2051 has FOUR significant figures.
How do you round to 3 significant figures?
- To round to three significant figures, look at the fourth significant figure. It's a 5 , so round up.
- To round to four significant figures, look at the fifth significant figure. It's a 1 , so round down.
- To round to two significant figures, look at the third significant figure. It's an 8 , so round up.
Why do we use 3 sig figs?
Significant figures are important because they allow us to keep track of the quality of measurements. Essentially, sig figs demonstrate how much to round, while also making sure that the answer is not more precise than our starting value.
