Significant Figures - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and rules about significant figures from the notes.

Significant figures

Digits in a measured number that include all certain digits plus a final digit with some uncertainty.

Uncertainty (final digit)

The last significant digit that has some uncertainty.

Leading zeros

Zeros on the left of the first nonzero digit; they never count as significant figures.

Enclosed zeros

Zeros between nonzero digits; they count as significant figures.

Trailing zeros

Zeros on the right; count as significant figures only if there is a decimal point present; otherwise, they do not.

Exact numbers

Numbers that have infinite significant figures.

Decimal places

Digits to the right of the decimal point; used to express precision and determine uncertainty in addition/subtraction.

Addition/subtraction rule for sig figs

For sums/differences, the result should have the same decimal-place precision as the number with the largest uncertainty.

Multiplication/division rule for sig figs

For products/divisions, the result should have the same number of significant figures as the factor with the fewest significant figures.

Logarithm (base-10) and sig figs

If L = log A, the number of decimal places in L equals the number of significant figures in A.

Antilogarithm and sig figs

If A = antilog L (A = 10^L), the number of significant figures in A equals the number of places after the decimal in L.

Common logarithm

The base-10 logarithm, denoted as log.