why would this be a significant digit?

Question

0.020kg...why would this have 2 significant digits instead of one...

Answer 1

the first zero is meaningless the second is a place holder and the last zero is meaningless until the the decimal moves to the right.

Answer 2

The first two rules I learned about sig digits are:

All non-zero digits are significant.

All zeros appearing to the right of a decimal point and non-zero digits are significant.

The digits that are significant are the digits that give the number its meaning. .02 is the simplest way to write the number. The zero on either end are not significant because they do not hold a place, and it means the same thing without them. The 0 before the 2 must be significant because you need it to represent the tenths spot so the 2 can stand in the hundredths spot.

Answer 3

where significant figure is the same as significant digit, read the following:

This number has 2 significant digits 2, and 0
the zeros on the left are not significant.

See Wikipedia,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Significant_figures

an example in wiki:

All zeros appearing to the right of an understood decimal point and non-zero digits are significant. Example: '12.2300' has six significant figures: 1,2,2,3,0 and 0. The number '0.00122300' still only has six significant figures (the zeros before the '1' are not significant).

and note:

Digits may be important without being 'significant' in this usage.

Answer 4

Without the 0 just after the decimal, the 2 could mean .2 or 2.0 - you need the two digits to make the number meaningful.

Answer 5

TRAILING ZEROES after the decimal point DO NOT change the value. In other words, 0.02 is THE SAME as 0.020...therefore the LAST ZERO is NOT SIGNIFICANT--meaning it does not change the value. The first zero is needed after the decimal point because 0.2 IS NOT the same as 0.02...the two significant digits are the first zero and the two AFTER the decimal point.

Answer 6

that's 3 in the two a form of. The 0 is purely important no count if that's after yet another variety or decimal. as an occasion, 0.02 might purely be 2 sig figs because of the fact the 0 on the front isn't important.

Answer 7

because of the 0 in the thousandths place. This means you know you have 0.020 kg, not 0.021 or 0.019. If you had only one sig fig (0.020 kg). This means you are closer to 0.020 than 0.01 or 0.03 (ie, you are between 0.015 and 0.025).
Best of luck,
Catherine

Answer 8

because there is a zero to the right of the decimal and the number

0.020
^^