answersLogoWhite

0

The term "significant digits" is used in science and other fields to specify the level of accuracy of a number in a given base. Usually the base is decimal (base 10).

Knowing the level of accuracy is important for many reasons:

(1) accuracy of measurement--the number and place of significant digits used tell other scientists how accurate the measurement is. For instance, three different scientists measure the heights of people, one scientist measures then records the heights as {1 meter, 2 meters}, another gives {1.2 meters, 1.7 meters} and the last gives {1.23 meters, 1.70 meters}. Each scientist has used a different number of significant digits. All height measurements are "correct" within their own degree of precision. Notice the last set of heights gives 1.70 meters as a height. This differs from the measurement of 1.7 in the previous set because it tells other scientists that the third scientist was measuring to the nearest millimeter (to get 1.70) and the second scientist was measuring only to the nearest centimeter (to get 1.7).

(2) accuracy of computation--for reasons similar to (1), it is useful to specify a level of accuracy in numerical computations (as on a computer) so that scientists know how precise a given computation is. For example, a computer can calculate the position of an asteroid to the nearest kilometer a year from now or to the nearest meter and so on.

User Avatar

Wiki User

17y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

In algebra How can 0 1?

Well, in science you always need significant digits: 0 has no significant digits, so we round to the nearest number with 1 significant digit: namely, -1 or 1.


How many significant digits are in 1467?

Well, honey, 1467 has four significant digits. It's not rocket science, just count the numbers that actually matter and ignore those pesky zeros at the end. Keep it simple, sweetheart.


How many significant digits go in a calculated answer?

Out of all the measurements used in the calculation, find the one with the least number of significant digits. This will be the limiting factor of how many significant digits the answer should have.


When is a number significant or not significant?

Any non-zero digit is significant. Example: 352.12 has 5 significant digits. A zero is significant if it appears between non-zero digits. Example: 504.2 has 4 significant digits. A zero is also significant when it appears after the decimal point, AFTER other digits. In this case, it was only added to indicate a significant digit. Example: 5.30 has 3 significant digits. A zero after other numbers may or may not be significant. Use scientific notation to unambiguously indicate the number of significant digits. Example: 4500 has 2 significant digits. It may have 3 or 4 significant digits, but to be safe, assume 2 significant digits. A zero is NOT significant if it comes after the decimal point, BEFORE any other digits. In this case, it is only used to put the digits in their proper place. Example: 0.0024 has 2 significant digits.


How many significant digits are in 123.09?

Five. All nonzero digits are significant and zeros in between significant digits are significant.


How many significant digits are in 20.009?

Five. All nonzero digits are significant and zeros in between significant digits are always significant.


How many significant digits are there in 6.0076?

Five. All nonzero digits are significant and zeros in between significant digits are always significant.


How many significant digits are in this 6.0076?

Five. All nonzero digits are significant and zeros in between significant digits are always significant.


What is the difference between significant figures and significant digits in numerical calculations?

Significant figures and significant digits are terms used in numerical calculations to indicate the precision of a number. Significant figures refer to all the digits in a number that are known with certainty, including both non-zero digits and zeros that are between non-zero digits or at the end of a decimal. Significant digits, on the other hand, refer to all the non-zero digits in a number, excluding any leading or trailing zeros. In essence, significant figures provide a more accurate representation of the precision of a number compared to significant digits.


What are the significant digits of 1004?

Four - zeros between significant digits are significant.


How do you multiply numbers while considering significant digits?

When multiplying numbers with significant digits, count the total number of significant digits in each number being multiplied. The result should have the same number of significant digits as the number with the fewest significant digits. Round the final answer to that number of significant digits.


What is the estimate of 7656?

to 1 significant digit: 8000 2 significant digits: 7700 3 significant digits: 7660 4 significant digits: 7656. 5 significant digits: 7656.0 6 significant digits: 7656.00 and so on and so forth for forever..........