(a) State the general rules used to identify the number of significant figures in a…
PHYSICS · Subjective · CBSE · Physics · Units and Measurements · Units and Measurements
Problem
(a) State the general rules used to identify the number of significant figures in a measured quantity.
(b) Describe how the above rules are applied while rounding an answer obtained from (i) multiplication or division and (ii) addition or subtraction of measured quantities.
(c) When the digit to be discarded is exactly 5 followed only by zeros (for example, in the number 2.7350), what convention is followed while rounding and why is this convention adopted?
(d) Illustrate your answers to parts (b) and (c) by working out one numerical example for each case. Show clearly the unrounded result, the rounding process, and the final value expressed in proper scientific notation.