A measurement is recorded as 0.00450 m. How many significant figures does this value have?

A measurement is recorded as 0.00450 m. How many significant figures does this value have?

• A. 3
• B. 4
• C. 2
• D. 1

Answer: (A)

Significant figures reflect the precision of a measurement. Leading zeros that come before the first nonzero digit don’t count, while zeros that come after a nonzero digit in a decimal do count because they indicate the precision of the measurement. For 0.00450 m, the nonzero digits are 4 and 5, and the trailing zero after the 5 is significant because it shows precision in the decimal form. The zeros before the 4 are just placeholders and don’t count. So there are three significant figures in this value.

Significant figures reflect the precision of a measurement. Leading zeros that come before the first nonzero digit don’t count, while zeros that come after a nonzero digit in a decimal do count because they indicate the precision of the measurement.

For 0.00450 m, the nonzero digits are 4 and 5, and the trailing zero after the 5 is significant because it shows precision in the decimal form. The zeros before the 4 are just placeholders and don’t count.

So there are three significant figures in this value.