Counting Significant Figures and Units of Measurement

Flashcards covering significant figures, units of measurement, and related concepts based on chemistry principles.

Significant Figures

The number of meaningful digits used to express a value, reflecting measurement precision.

Precise Measurement

A measurement that is reported with significant figures, showing certainty except for the last estimated digit.

Rule for Significant Figures

All nonzero digits are significant; interior zeroes are significant; leading zeroes are not significant.

Exact Numbers

Numbers that have an unlimited number of significant figures, such as counted quantities and defined units.

Scientific Notation

A method to express very large or small numbers, written as a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten.

Addition and Subtraction Rule (Significant Figures)

The result must carry the same number of decimal places as the quantity with the fewest decimal places.

Multiplication and Division Rule (Significant Figures)

The result must carry the same number of significant figures as the factor with the fewest significant figures.

SI units

Standard units used in the SI system for measurements, including meter (m) for length, kilogram (kg) for mass, and second (s) for time.

Volume Definition

A derived unit defined as the amount of space an object occupies, measured in cubic meters (m³) or liters (L).

Density Definition

The ratio of a substance's mass to its volume, determining if it will sink or float in another substance.