If you’re struggling to untangle the confusion about significant digits, then this is the video you’ll want to watch. Get a calculator, sheet of paper, and a pencil and get ready to become a super-genius on sig figs!



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8 Responses to “Significant Digits”

  1. David Harn says:

    I have yet to figure out where this will be helpful, but all knowledge is welcome. Both I and my children (age 8 and 10) are hooked on learning anything and everything there is to learn. I’m sure this information will come in handy in our further explorations of science. Thank you.

  3. Tina Olds says:

    Is there a way i can practice.

  4. Caren Freeman says:

    This was a great explanation video. I’m learning just as much as my children.

  5. Almost.. 10.6 had 3 significant figures and a least significant decimal of -1. A significant figure is any non-zero digit or any embedded or trailing zero. The 0 in the 10.6 number is embedded – you can’t withhold it without changing the number. It’s the leading zeros that are not significant, like 010.6 for example. A number may be rounded/padded with zeros to give it the correct number of significant figures, like 10.60 which has four sig figs. Remember, when multiplying values together, your result is only as significant as your least significant value. Hope this helps!

  6. Hannah Strickland says:

    On that last example, the one with m/s. . . . isn’t the zero in the 10.6 a place holder? So 2 significant digits, not three?

  7. Sorry about that – the filename was incorrect. Try again?

  8. Anthony Cole says:

    Hi, this video doesn’t seem to be working.