Physics
Physics
Problem
Which statement correctly justifies that the number contains three significant figures? a) Only non-zero digits are counted as significant; zeros are never significant. b) Trailing zeros to the right of a decimal are not significant unless another non-zero digit follows them. c) Significant figures are determined solely by the coefficient; exponent digits are never counted. d) Digits appearing in the exponent also contribute to the total number of significant figures.Intuitive explanation
Significant figures count the digits that carry meaningful precision in a measurement. In scientific notation, you only count the digits in the coefficient (the number before ), not the power of 10 itself—the exponent just shows where the decimal point goes. Here, the coefficient is 3.20, which has three digits: the 3, the 2, and the trailing zero after the decimal point, all of which are significant.
Intuitive explanation
Significant figures count the digits that carry meaningful precision in a measurement. In scientific notation, you only count the digits in the coefficient (the number before ), not the power of 10 itself—the exponent just shows where the decimal point goes. Here, the coefficient is 3.20, which has three digits: the 3, the 2, and the trailing zero after the decimal point, all of which are significant.