Video Transcript
To how many significant figures is
the value 0.0023 kilograms given?
We can think of significant figures
of a number as the digits that determine its value and precision. The first three digits in the
number are zero, zero, and zero. None of these zeros contribute
directly to the value or precision of the number to come. It’s the number two that’s the
first nonzero digit. So, it’s the two that’s our first
significant digit. The three has also been given, so
that’s a significant digit as well. And we could write zeros after the
three, but we haven’t actually been told what those digits are. The number could have been rounded,
so these trailing zeroes are not significant. So, the value 0.0023 kilograms has
been given to two significant figures.
