Sig Figs, please help me!

So I've always been taught that 100 has 1 sig fig (because 0 only counts after a decimal or inbetween intergers) but I've been doing some chem papers (where you have to quote to the least number of sig fig in the question) and this is the situation:

So the values given are: 4.31 m^3 , 298K and 100kPa, and the answer only accepts 3 sig figs.

idk because i would have considered the least number of sig figs to have been 1and now it feels like my whole life has been a life.

could someone clarify?

Reply 1

Alpha-tega

2

Original post by Xxxibgdrgn12

it feels like my whole life has been a life.

my whole life has been a lie.* not life :smile:

Reply 2

Grim_Squeaker

19

0 counts as a sig fig after the FIRST 'proper number' so to say.

Think of the 0's before the first 'significant' number as being 'insignificant' numbers so to say. While those following that first significant number are significant.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 3

Infraspecies

16

"100" could be one, two or three significant figures. Numbers like this can be unclear, don't worry, they usually need to specify how many sig figs 100 is given to.

Think of it in standard form, 100 could be:

1*10^2 (this would be one sig fig)
1.0*10^2 (2 sig fig)
1.00*10^3 (3 sig fig)
and so on.

Reply 4

Kevin De Bruyne

21

Original post by Xxxibgdrgn12

So I've always been taught that 100 has 1 sig fig (because 0 only counts after a decimal or inbetween intergers) but I've been doing some chem papers (where you have to quote to the least number of sig fig in the question) and this is the situation:

So the values given are: 4.31 m^3 , 298K and 100kPa, and the answer only accepts 3 sig figs.

idk because i would have considered the least number of sig figs to have been 1and now it feels like my whole life has been a life.

could someone clarify?

100 can be for example 96 to 2 s.f. or even 100.3 to 3 s.f... so on the face of it 100 looks like just 1 (it could be 149 to 1 s.f.!) but it could be all of those things.. strictly speaking what you said is correct but i hope I'm correct in that the examples above have different s.fs.. someone will correct me if I'm wrong!

Think of significant figures as the number of digits after, and including, the first non-zero digit, so in all 3 of those numbers they are 3 s.f. (Remember that 100kPa = 100,000 Pa and it's written it as 100kPa, I.e. first 3 figures are significant.. I completely understand why this bit is confusing! And to use it on a number that is a multiple of 100 is foul play by the examiner :tongue:

)

(edited 6 years ago)

Sig Figs, please help me!

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