significant figures
Precision-carrying numerals
Significant figures are the digits in a number that carry meaningful precision.
In measurement and calculation, they indicate how accurately something is known: 3.14 has three significant figures, while 3.1400 has five, implying greater precision.
Leading zeros don't count; trailing zeros after a decimal point do.
Scientists and engineers use significant figures to avoid false precision—reporting results only as precisely as the measurements allow.
Cutting something shorter
- approximationNear but inexact value
- round upGather into a group
- round downApproximate toward zero
- nearestClosest in distance
tenths · hundredths · thousandths · place value · estimation · carry · decimal point · half-up
Degree of correctness
- decimal placesPositions after decimal point
- measurementDetermining size or amount
- exactnessCorrectness in every detail
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
uncertainty · error · tolerance · calibration · resolution · sensitivity · specificity · reliability
Numbers times ten-powers
- decimalTenths-based notation
- digitSingle numeric character
- mantissaLogarithm's fractional component
- exponentSuperscript showing power
order of magnitude · powers of ten · standard form · coefficient · magnitude
Joining quantities mathematically
- subtractionRemoving quantities mathematically
- multiplicationProduct-finding operation
- divisionSplitting into parts
- computationMathematical processing work
arithmetic · rules · operations · conversion factors · final answer
truncation
Cutting something shorter
- approximationNear but inexact value
- round upGather into a group
- round downApproximate toward zero
nearest · tenths · hundredths · thousandths · place value · estimation · carry · decimal point · half-up
accuracy
Degree of correctness
- decimal placesPositions after decimal point
- measurementDetermining size or amount
- exactnessCorrectness in every detail
precision · uncertainty · error · tolerance · calibration · resolution · sensitivity · specificity · reliability · validity
scientific notation
Numbers times ten-powers
exponent · order of magnitude · powers of ten · standard form · coefficient · magnitude
addition
Joining quantities mathematically
- subtractionRemoving quantities mathematically
- multiplicationProduct-finding operation
- divisionSplitting into parts
computation · arithmetic · rules · operations · conversion factors · final answer
- math & science termspi, infinity, zero, billion, million
- notationnotation, musical notation, score, sheet music, tablature
- number formatsinteger, decimal, binary, percentage, hexadecimal
- research errorsmeasurement error, sampling error, systematic error, selection bias, confirmation bias
- Chemistry Calculationsstoichiometry, moles, balancing equations, balanced equation, chemical equation
- Chemistry LawsAvogadro's law, Boyle's law, gas laws, ideal gas law, Beer-Lambert law
significant figuresleading zeros
Zeros before first nonzero digit
false precision · rounding error · noise · padding · imprecision
significant figuresfalse precision
figure, figures, significance, significant, signify, insignificant, significantly, figurative, insignificance