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Sig Figs

Every measurement has units and uncertainty. Accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the accepted value, while precision refers to how close repeated measurements are to each other. Significant figures are used to indicate the precision of measurements and calculations involving measurements. The number of significant figures depends on the digits known with certainty and on rules for trailing and leading zeros. Calculations with measurements require consideration of significant figures to accurately represent precision.

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213 views

Sig Figs

Every measurement has units and uncertainty. Accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the accepted value, while precision refers to how close repeated measurements are to each other. Significant figures are used to indicate the precision of measurements and calculations involving measurements. The number of significant figures depends on the digits known with certainty and on rules for trailing and leading zeros. Calculations with measurements require consideration of significant figures to accurately represent precision.

Uploaded by

api-325864985
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 11

Measurements:

Every measurement has UNITS.


Every measurement has UNCERTAINTY.

1
Accuracy and Precision in Measurements

Accuracy: how close a


measurement is to the accepted
value.

Precision: how close a series of


measurements are to one
another or how far out a
measurement is taken.
A measurement can have high
precision, but not be as accurate
as a less precise one.
2
Significant Figures are used to indicate the precision of
a measured number or to express the precision of a
calculation with measured numbers.

In any
measurement
the digit farthest
to the right is
considered to be
estimated.

0 1 2

1.3 2.0 3
Sig. Fig. Rules (with measurements):

All non-zero digits are significant.

Zeros at the end of a measurement?


scientific notation:
5000 5 x 103
5.0 x 103
5000
5.00 x 103
5000 5.000 x 103
5.0000 x 103
5000
5.00000 x 103
5000.0
4
5000.00
Zeros at the beginning a number are not significant.

0.005
0.0050
0.00500

0.00505

Counted numbers and definitions (2.54 cm =


1 inch) are considered to be exact and
have no effect on the number of sig. figs.
reported in calculations with measurements.
5
Calculations with sig. Figs.

Addition and subtraction:

Look at places!

3.63 cm
13.129 cm
+123.1 cm
139.859 cm = 139.9 cm

significant to 6
the 0.1 place
Measurement Calculations with scientific
notation.
Addition/subtraction: must be placed into the
same notation.
(2.3 x 103) + (3.2 x 104) =

0.23 x 104
+3.2 x 104

3.43 x 104 = 3.4 x 104

7
Calculations with Sig. figs.
Multiplication and division (measurements):

You must be
able to
count.

2.734 cm x 5.2 cm x 8.1294 cm = 115.5740539 cm3


4 s.f. 2 s.f. 5 s.f. written as 120 cm3

2 s.f.’s 8
1. The term that is related to the reproducibility (repeatability) of a
measurement is
a. accuracy.
b. precision.
Let’s take a “Quiz”
c. qualitative.
d. quantitative. b. precision.
e. property.

2. The number of significant figures in the mass measured as


0.010210 g is
a. 1.
b. 2.
c. 3.
d. 4. e. 5.
e. 5.

9
3. The number of significant figures in 6.0700 x 10
-4… is
a. 3.
b. 4.
c. 5.
d. 6. c. 5.
e. 7.

4. How many significant figures are there in the value 0.003060?


a. 7
b. 6
c. 5
d. 4
e. 3

d. 4

10
11

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