"Give your answers to a significant number of significant figures"
I'm about to crash out yo - this is the 10th time I've lost marks cos I didn't give it to an "appropriate number of significant figures":
The student carried out several titrations. The results are shown in Table 2.
Titration Rough 1 2 3
Final reading / cm3 25.2 23.95 47.65 24.10
Start reading / cm3 0.0 0.05 23.95 0.10
Titre / cm3
Calculate the mean titre using the concordant results.
Give your answer to the appropriate number of significant figures.
Surely the answer could be 20, because 0.0 is one significant figure, but the answer is 23.95...
The student carried out several titrations. The results are shown in Table 2.
Titration Rough 1 2 3
Final reading / cm3 25.2 23.95 47.65 24.10
Start reading / cm3 0.0 0.05 23.95 0.10
Titre / cm3
Calculate the mean titre using the concordant results.
Give your answer to the appropriate number of significant figures.
Surely the answer could be 20, because 0.0 is one significant figure, but the answer is 23.95...
Reply 1
10
Usually when they say use appropriate number of significant figures, they want you to use the same number as what's given in the question, so it would be 23.95
Reply 2
11
Original post
by Jimmy Butler IVI'm about to crash out yo - this is the 10th time I've lost marks cos I didn't give it to an "appropriate number of significant figures":
The student carried out several titrations. The results are shown in Table 2.
Titration Rough 1 2 3
Final reading / cm3 25.2 23.95 47.65 24.10
Start reading / cm3 0.0 0.05 23.95 0.10
Titre / cm3
Calculate the mean titre using the concordant results.
Give your answer to the appropriate number of significant figures.
Surely the answer could be 20, because 0.0 is one significant figure, but the answer is 23.95...
The student carried out several titrations. The results are shown in Table 2.
Titration Rough 1 2 3
Final reading / cm3 25.2 23.95 47.65 24.10
Start reading / cm3 0.0 0.05 23.95 0.10
Titre / cm3
Calculate the mean titre using the concordant results.
Give your answer to the appropriate number of significant figures.
Surely the answer could be 20, because 0.0 is one significant figure, but the answer is 23.95...
Specifically in titration questions, it should be to 2dp usually. When it's experimental, often it's decimal places instead of significant figures because that's what the instruments measure to. Eg a burette measuring 20, you'd say that as 20.00 because it can also measure 19.95 which is obviously a lot more significant figures, but it's the same number of decimal places. So in titrations I'd say do it to 2dp.
Although yes as a general rule it's to the lowest number of significant figures given in the question, although chemistry can be somewhat inconsistent on this (physics is much stricter about it). Unless it specifically states 'appropriate number', it's better to give too many sig figs than too few.
I know, it's annoying, I've crashed out so many times over significant figures bc you think you've learnt it and then there'll be one random markscheme that disagrees!
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