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Ch.1 - Introduction: Matter, Energy, and Measurement
All textbooksBrown 15th EditionCh.1 - Introduction: Matter, Energy, and MeasurementProblem 45e
Chapter 1, Problem 45e

What is the number of significant figures in each of the following measured quantities? e. 3.50×103 cm3

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1
Identify the significant figures in the number 3.50.
Recognize that all non-zero digits are significant.
Note that zeros between non-zero digits are also significant.
Understand that zeros to the right of a decimal point and at the end of a number are significant.
Conclude that the number 3.50 has three significant figures.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Significant Figures

Significant figures are the digits in a number that contribute to its precision. This includes all non-zero digits, any zeros between significant digits, and trailing zeros in the decimal portion. Understanding significant figures is crucial for accurately reporting measurements and ensuring that calculations reflect the precision of the data.
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Scientific Notation

Scientific notation is a way of expressing numbers that are too large or too small to be conveniently written in decimal form. It is represented as a product of a number between 1 and 10 and a power of ten. For example, 3.50×10³ cm³ indicates that the number 3.50 is multiplied by 1000, which helps in identifying significant figures more easily.
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Rules for Counting Significant Figures

There are specific rules for counting significant figures in a number. For instance, all non-zero digits are significant, any zeros between significant digits are significant, and trailing zeros in a decimal number are also significant. Applying these rules helps determine the number of significant figures in a measurement, which is essential for scientific accuracy.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Indicate which of the following are exact numbers: (a) the mass of a 32-oz bag of sugar, (b) the number of students in your chemistry class, (c) the temperature of the surface of the Sun, (d) the mass of a postage stamp, (e) the number of milliliters in a cubic meter of water, (f) the average height of NBA basketball players.

Textbook Question

What is the number of significant figures in each of the following measured quantities? b. 32.40 s

Textbook Question

What is the number of significant figures in each of the following measured quantities? d. 0.00404 L

Textbook Question

Indicate the number of significant figures in each of the following measured quantities: e. 12.8690 g

Textbook Question

Round each of the following numbers to four significant figures and express the result in standard exponential notation: (a) 102.53070

Textbook Question

Round each of the following numbers to four significant figures and express the result in standard exponential notation: (e) −0.0357202.