Unit 2: Measurement and Significant Figures

Flashcards covering key concepts and definitions related to measurement and significant figures.

Significant Figures

Digits in a number that carry meaning contributing to its precision.

Accuracy

The closeness of a measured value to a standard or known value.

Precision

The closeness of two or more measurements to each other.

Scientific Notation

A way of expressing numbers that are too big or too small to be conveniently written in decimal form.

Example of accuracy

A target where the darts are clustered closely around the center.

Example of precision

Darts that are clustered together but far from the center of the target.

Rounding to 2 Significant Figures

Adjusting a number so that it contains only two digits that are significant.

Addition of Sig Figs

The result should be rounded to the least number of decimal places of any number in the operation.

Multiplication of Sig Figs

The result should be rounded to the least number of significant figures of any number in the operation.

Scientific Notation of 234950

2.3495 x 10^5.

Scientific Notation of 398329098

3.98329098 x 10^8.

Scientific Notation of 0.019320

1.9320 x 10^-2.