Significant Figures

Significant figures are the specific digits within a number that carry reliable and meaningful information about the precision of a measurement. The rules for significant figures help ensure that mathematical results do not appear more precise than the instruments used to measure them.

Example

The number $0.00450$ has three significant figures (the $4$, the $5$, and the final $0$). The leading zeros simply indicate the position of the decimal point and are not considered significant.

Significant Figures

Example

See Also