Name ____________________Period _______KEY____________
Significant Figures- Hauck, Ligon
Answer the questions below based on the tables in the groups provided. These are your models for this activity.
In this document, “SF” stands for Significant Figures.
Group 1
Number
7
3.2
6.54
855
# of SF
1
2
3
3
Critical Thinking Questions
1. Engage in a group discussion that tries to determine what pattern or rules exist between the Numbers
and # of SF listed in Group 1 and write that rule below…
2. How many SF’s would be in the following numbers?
a. 95
_2_
b. 7.56 _3__
c. 45256 _5_
Group 2
Number
305
3005
6.05
6.005
9.05006
9.50006
# of SF
3
4
3
4
6
6
3. Engage in a group discussion that tries to determine what pattern or rules exist between the Numbers
and # of SF listed in Group 2 and write that rule below…
The number of real numbers in a number = the number of SF including captured zeros.
4. How many SF’s would be in the following numbers?
a. 35
_2__
b. 706
_3__
c. 35.06 __4_
d. 60.701 __5_
Group 4
Group 3
Number
30
300
3000
# of SF
1
1
1
Number
30.
300.
3000.
Group 5
# of SF
2
3
4
Number
1.0
35.0
35.00
10.0
300.00
# of SF
2
3
4
3
5
5. Engage in a group discussion that tries to determine what pattern or rules exist between the Numbers
and # of SF listed in Groups 3, 4 & 5 and write that rule below…
Trailing or ending zeros are significant only if a decimal is present.
6. How many SF’s would be in the following numbers?
a. 722
_3_
b. 702.05
_5__
c. 50
_1__
d. 50.
_2__
e. 500
_1__
f. 700
_1__
g. 7.700
__4_
Group 7
Group 6
Number
0.1
0.020
0.00213
0.0303
# of SF
1
2
3
3
Number
1 x 10-1
2.0 x 10-2
2.13 x 10-3
3.03 x 10-2
1.20 x 10-4
2.060 x 1010
2.060 x 10-10
# of SF
1
2
3
3
3
4
4
7. Engage in a group discussion that tries to determine what pattern or rules exist between the Numbers
and # of SF listed in Groups 6 & 7 and write that rule below…
Powers of 10 and Leading zeros are not significant.
8. How many SF’s would be in the following numbers?
a. 0.01
_1__
b. 0.0023
_2__
-4
c. 23.6 x 10
__3_
d. 23.0 x 10-4
_3__
e. 1.234 x 103 __4_
9. Now, condense all of the rules that you’ve written above into the shortest, most condensed list as
possible that still applies to every group listed above. These rules must be grammatically correct.
All real numbers, captured zeros are significant. Only trailing zeros are significant if decimal present. Leading
zeros are not significant.
Now, go to the board as directed by the instructor and add your rules to the appropriate section. After
the class discussion and editing session, write the final SF rules on your note card.
Exercises
Complete the following table:
Number
How many digits
in the number are
SF
List the Group (1-7)
that you used to
answer the # of SF in
the number
2.307
4
___
70000.
5
4
5.230
_4__
5
271.2
___
__1_
1.750 x 10-3
4
7
0.006980
4
6
5000
_1__
3
How many zeros are
significant?
1
4
1
0
1
1
0
Exercises
Complete the following table:
# of
Do the number of SF match the
Number
SF
example to the left (circle Yes or No)
Write the correct SF below
4
8.020
3
Yes…No No
0.23060
5
Yes…No Yes
5.670 x 1010
3
Yes…No No
4
5000.00
5
Yes…No No
6
250.00
3
Yes…No No
5
6.7200 x 10-4
7
Yes…No No
5
Problems
1. Do you think that there should be a standard number of decimal places reported in answers to problems?
Yes
2. How would this benefit/harm science as a whole? Standardizing procedures enable scientists to
compare similar information consistently.
3. Discuss this as a group and explain. Use grammatically correct sentences.