Here's an example... Lets say you measured the distance from Earth to some random star, and found it to be 12,000,000,000 light years away, accurate to the nearest light year, now since you measured that distance with your super 1-light-year-long measuring sticks (lol), you know your answer is accurate to the nearest light year... So the 9 zeros at the end of the number SHOULD be considered significant, but by following the rules for significant figures, you only assume the 1 and 2 to be...
How can you signify the significance of those zeros? I know you could do it like this...
1.2000000000*10^10
But is that how you should always do it? Or is there another way?
Thanks.
P.S. I classified this under chemistry because you seem to use the concept the MOST there, I understand you use it in other fields, and probably least of all in mathematics ( I didn't say not at all), so don't whine about my classification and ask me to put it there... ya...
^Sorry about that part, but ut was needed.
2006-08-04
17:07:28
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4 answers
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asked by
Anonymous