Answer to Question #55639 in Mechanics | Relativity for gee

Question

When writing the results of an experimental observation in terms of significant digits, all non-zero digits are -----------------

A. significant
B. to be discarded
C. to be rounded off
D. to be truncated

Answer 1

A. significant.

We have a rule: All nonzero digits are significant. Also when a calculation is performed, the number of significant figures in the numerical answer is determined by the precision of the measurements used in the calculation. It is often necessary to round off the calculated result to the proper number of significant figures. But we round off only one uncertain digit not all non-zero digits.