Numbers can be rounded to significant figures. Numbers which are significant are usually non-zero numbers. Zeros can become significant however under two conditions.
Part of MathsNumerical skills
Numbers which are significant are by and large any number which is not zero.
Zeros are usually said to be not significant, apart from two conditions:
For example:
8300 has 2 significant figures
8030 has 3 significant figures
803 has 3 significant figures
80.3 has 3 significant figures
8.03 has 3 significant figures
0.803 has 3 significant figures
803.0 has 4 significant figures
0.8030 has 4 significant figures
Round 5246 to 2 significant figures.
The first two significant figures are 5 and 2. As the next digit is 4 the 2 stays as it is.
Therefore 5246 rounds to 5200 to 2 significant figures. (Notice that we must put in zeros to keep the number starting with five thousand.)