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- PHY101 Physics I © Dr.Cem Özdoğan
- Scientific notation is used to express the very large and very small quantities. Non-zero numbers are significant! (but with care)
- Example 1: 0.00035 (two significant digits)
- Example 2: 0.000325400 (six significant digits)
- Example 3: 2500 (two significant digits)
- In general, trailing zeros are not significant.
- In other words, 2500 may have 4 significant figures
- but usually 2500 will have only 2 significant figures!
- When in doubt, use scientific notation 2.500 x 103 or 2.5x103
- Example 4: 3560 000 000 (three significant digits)
- Example 5: 356.00 (five significant digits)
- Scientific notation employs powers of 10 to write large or small numbers
- Significant figures are meaningful digits. Generally, round to the least number of significant figures of the given data (see next slide),
- 25 x 18 → 2 significant figures; 25 x 18975 → still 2
- Round up for 5+ (13.5 → 14, but 13.4 → 13)