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"...to two significant figures." What's that??

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:04 pm
by BB248
Can anyone help?

DS was asked 2 Qs, both involving the phrase, "to two significant figures."

Q1. Approximate 623 to two significant figures.

Q2. Work out correct to two significant figures 0.72 x 2.7

I assumed the answer to Q1 was 620 and to Q2 was 1.9 but really don't know. Can any one help?

Many thanks!

BB248

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:08 pm
by hermanmunster
found this which would agree with you :wink:

http://ostermiller.org/calc/significant_figures.html

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:21 pm
by BB248
Herman

Thank you! Still find it odd that my 10 year old is expected to know things that sump me. A sign of things to come, I fear....

BB248

Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:59 pm
by Haze
Significant figures just means rounded to two "significant" figures.

eg. 3,745 would be 3,700 and 8.25845 would be 8.3