how many significant digits are represented by a measured value recorded as 23500
2006-11-27 06:51:32 · 6 answers · asked by star wars freak 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Three, at best. I would suspect only two, taking the tell-tale 5 to mean merely "more like 23500 than 23000 or 24000", whereas 23400 or 23600 would have been unambiguously three.
2006-11-27 08:35:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
ambiguity exists.
you could say 3 or you could say 5 ... there is
not enough information given to determine which
of these is correct. ['lawyer-talk' can argue
either side, but counterexamples exist to support
both positions]
"depends on the measurement made and the instrument used to make this measurement" ... and the condtions under which ....\
yada, yada, yada ...
no "clean" answer exists
"A gate-counter records the number of people
walking thru turnstile and records 23500 people."
[5 signif digits]
"A parts-counter scale weighs 1 sample-piece and a bag of parts is dumped into the scale-tray ... and the LED
display says "23500 parts" (with a flashing "1" in the 4th digit position)
[3 signif digits]
2006-11-27 15:19:48 · answer #2 · answered by atheistforthebirthofjesus 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Five significant digits, because at the moment you put the two final zeroes, the next number is demanded to fill the fifth place counting from left to right (for example: 25001)
2006-11-27 14:55:27 · answer #3 · answered by CHESSLARUS 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Three. The only time zeros count as a sig.fig. is when they are in between other numbers. Or when they are not needed to hold decimal places (4.00 = 3 sigfig)
Hope this helps
2006-11-27 15:03:29 · answer #4 · answered by Milla 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
that number only has 3 significant figures. however, placing a decimal point after the last zero, gives it 5 sig figs.
2006-11-27 15:01:54 · answer #5 · answered by pilatesfreak 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Three
2006-11-27 15:07:24 · answer #6 · answered by mike.fincher 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋