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General Physics 1 (Module 3)

1. This document discusses the concept of significant figures and how to use them to estimate errors in measurements. It provides rules for determining the number of significant figures in a number, and rules for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division when considering significant figures. 2. Examples are given to illustrate the rules, such as how trailing zeros can be significant depending on their placement. Practice problems are also provided to allow the reader to apply the concepts. 3. The goal is for readers to understand significant figures so they can properly round answers and report measurements without appearing more accurate than the equipment allows.

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Jhunner Buan
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
362 views

General Physics 1 (Module 3)

1. This document discusses the concept of significant figures and how to use them to estimate errors in measurements. It provides rules for determining the number of significant figures in a number, and rules for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division when considering significant figures. 2. Examples are given to illustrate the rules, such as how trailing zeros can be significant depending on their placement. Practice problems are also provided to allow the reader to apply the concepts. 3. The goal is for readers to understand significant figures so they can properly round answers and report measurements without appearing more accurate than the equipment allows.

Uploaded by

Jhunner Buan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Jose Rizal Institute

Parang Parang, Orani, Bataan


Tel # : PLDT- (047) 638 -1210
Globe - 0917 - 636 - 9180 , TNT - 0912 - 647 - 6806

Least Concept to Estimate Error

After going through this module, you are expected to:


1. Use the least count concept to estimate errors associated with single measurements.

PRE TEST:

Choose the letter of the best answer.

1. Considering the correct number of significant figures, evaluate the following operation,
3.73 x 5.7 = _____.
a. 21 c. 21.26
b. 21.00 d. 21.261

2. Compute 3.24 m + 0.532 m to the correct number of significant figures.


a. 3.77 c. 3.8
b. 3.772 d. 4.00

3. The sum of 1.04 + 2.1135 + 3.1 + 3.403 is_____


a. 9.6565 c. 9.66
b. 9.6 d. 9.70

4. Solve: 7.45 x 108 + 4.97 x 10-2 – 6.67 x 105 is equal to___


a. 7443.33 x 105 c. 7.44333 x 10-2
b. 7.44 x 108 d. 7443.330000497

5. Which of the following examples illustrates a number that is correctly rounded to three
significant figures?
a. 0.03954 g to 4.040 g c. 20.0332 g to 20.0 g

b. 4.05438 g to 4.054 g d. 103.692 g to 103.7 g


6. Which of the following numbers contains the designated CORRECT number of
significant figures?
a. 0.00302 2 significant figures
b. 0.04300 5 significant figures
c. 1.04 2 significant figures
d. 3.0560 4 significant figures
e. 156 000 3 significant figures

7. A calculator answer of 423.6059 must be rounded off to three significant figures. What
answer is reported?
a. 420 b. 423 c. 423.6 d. 423.7 e. 424

8. Which of the following is CORRECT?


a. 2.450 x 107 rounded to two significant digits 2.4 x 107
b. 3.56 rounded to two significant digits is 3.6
c. 77.889 x 106 rounded to three significant digits is 77.8 x 106
d. 122.5 rounded to two significant digits is 120

9. The following observations have been made: 64.52, 3.0, 11.081. the correctly written
sum is
a. 78.6
b. 78.60
c. 78.6010
d. 79

10. The quantity 0.245 x 36.74 / 200.0 = 0.045007, computed from measured
values, should be written in an engineering report as
a. 0.04500 c. 4.50 x 10-2
b. 4.5 x 10-2 d. 5 x 10-2
It is important to be honest when reporting a measurement, so that it does not appear to be
more accurate than the equipment used to make the measurement allows. We can achieve
this by controlling the number of digits, or significant figures, used to report the
measurement.

Measurement values are only as accurate as the measurement equipment used to collect
them. For example, measuring meters with a meter stick is rather accurate; measuring
millimeters (1/1,000 of a meter) with a meter stick is inaccurate. Using significant figures
helps prevent the reporting of measured values that the measurement equipment is not
capable of determining. A significant figure is comprised of the fewest digits capable of
expressing a measured value without losing accuracy. As the sensitivity of the measurement
equipment increases, so does the number of significant figures. Knowing the rules for working
with significant figures can help your students. “Rounding” numbers is the usual method of
achieving significant figures. Once the appropriate number of significant figures for any
measurement, calculation, or equation is determined, students can practice rounding their
answers appropriately.

To determine the number of significant figures in a number use the


following 3 rules:
1. Non-zero digits are always significant
2. Any zeros between two significant digits are significant
3. A final zero or trailing zeros in the decimal portion ONLY are significant
Example: .500 or .632000 the zeros are significant
.006 or .000968 the zeros are NOT significant

For addition and subtraction use the following rules:


1. Count the number of significant figures in the decimal portion ONLY of each number in the
problem
2. Add or subtract in the normal fashion
3. Your final answer may have no more significant figures to the right of the decimal than the
LEAST number of significant figures in any number in the problem.

For multiplication and division use the following rule:


1. The LEAST number of significant figures in any number of the problem determines the
number of significant figures in the answer. (You are now looking at the entire number, not
just the decimal portion)
*This means you have to be able to recognize significant figures in order to use this rule*
Example: 5.26 has 3 significant figures
6.1 has 2 significant figures
Rules for Significant Figure
1. All non-zero numbers ARE significant. The number 33.2 has THREE significant
figures because all of the digits present are non-zero.

2. Zeros between two non-zero digits ARE significant. 2051 has FOUR significant
figures. The zero is between a 2 and a 5.

3. Leading zeros are NOT significant. They're nothing more than "place holders." The
number 0.54 has only TWO significant figures. 0.0032 also has TWO significant
figures. All of the zeros are leading.

4. Trailing zeros to the right of the decimal ARE significant. There are FOUR
significant figures in 92.00.

92.00 is different from 92: a scientist who measures 92.00 milliliters knows his value
to the nearest 1/100th milliliter; meanwhile his colleague who measured 92 milliliters
only knows his value to the nearest 1 milliliter. It's important to understand that "zero"
does not mean "nothing." Zero denotes actual information, just like any other number.
You cannot tag on zeros that aren't certain to belong there.

5. Trailing zeros in a whole number with the decimal shown ARE significant. Placing
a decimal at the end of a number is usually not done. By convention, however, this
decimal indicates a significant zero. For example, "540." indicates that the trailing zero
IS significant; there are THREE significant figures in this value.

6. Trailing zeros in a whole number with no decimal shown are NOT


significant. Writing just "540" indicates that the zero is NOT significant, and there are
only TWO significant figures in this value.

7. Exact numbers have an INFINITE number of significant figures. This rule applies
to numbers that are definitions. For example, 1 meter = 1.00 meters = 1.0000 meters
= 1.0000000000000000000 meters, etc.

So now back to the example posed in the Rounding Tutorial: Round 1000.3 to four
significant figures. 1000.3 has five significant figures (the zeros are between non-zero
digits 1 and 3, so by rule 2 above, they are significant.) We need to drop the final 3,
and since 3 < 5, we leave the last zero alone. so 1000. is our four-significant-figure
answer. (from rules 5 and 6, we see that in order for the trailing zeros to "count" as
significant, they must be followed by a decimal. Writing just "1000" would give us only
one significant figure.)
8. For a number in scientific notation: N x 10x, all digits comprising N ARE
significant by the first 6 rules; "10" and "x" are NOT significant. 5.02 x 104 has
THREE significant figures: "5.02." "10 and "4" are not significant.
Rule 8 provides the opportunity to change the number of significant figures in a value
by manipulating its form. For example, let's try writing 1100 with THREE significant
figures. By rule 6, 1100 has TWO significant figures; its two trailing zeros are not
significant. If we add a decimal to the end, we have 1100. with FOUR significant figures
(by rule 5.) But by writing it in scientific notation: 1.10 x 103, we create a THREE-
significant-figure value.

ACTVITY:
A. How many significant figures are in each of the following numbers?

1. 1.234

2. 1.2340

3. 1.234 x 10-3

4. 1.2340 x 10-3

5. 1234

6. 12340

7. 0.012340

8. 12.34

9. 123.4

10. 1.23400 x 10-5

B. Express the following number in scientific notation with correct


significant figure.

1. 900 000 (3SF)


2. 3400 (2SF)
3. 45 (3SF)
4. 0.815 (2SF)
5. 0.00891 (2SF)
6. 4 500 (2SF)
7. 0.00766 (1SF)
8. 56 000 (2SF)
9. 34 000 (3SF)
10.8930 (4SF)

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