SigDigPresentation.ppt.pptVIP

SIGNIFICANT DIGITS We’ll call them “S.D.’s” for short Why Use Them?? To show how precise our instruments are The following types of digits are considered significant: any non-zero number…for example, 562 this number has 3 S.D.’s all zeros between 2 other S.D.’s…for example, 5006 this number has 4 S.D.’s If there is a decimal, any zero that follows the last nonzero number…for example 560.0 this number has 4 S.D.’s The following types of digits are not considered significant If there is no decimal point, any zero following the last nonzero digit is not significant…for example, 9050 this number has 3 S.D.’s all zeros appearing in front of the first nonzero digit…for example, .0091 this number has 2 S.D.’s WHAT NOW??? That was all fine and good, but what do we do with them!! Now we can do mathematical operations the RIGHT WAY!! ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION Consider the following problem 5.0 + 15.5 + 20.25 = ??? After you read the problem, do the addition (or subtraction) like you normally would. Write down the entire answer from your calculator you should have gotten 40.75 ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION WE ARE NOT DONE!!!! Decide which was the LEAST PRECISE number in the problem That would be the 5.0 OR the 15.5…..both go to the tenths place For +/-, the answer goes to the same place!! 40.75 must go to the tenths……it becomes 40.8 Whew….DONE!!! Not Exactly….. MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION Consider the following problem 562 x .0095 = ??? After you read the problem, do the multiplication (or division) like you normally would. Write down the entire answer from your calculator you should have gotten 5.339 MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION WE ARE NOT DONE!!!! Decide which number in the problem had the LEAST NUMBER OF S.D.’s That would be the .0095 -- it only has 2 For * or /, the answer has the same number of S.D.’s as the number in the problem with the fewest S.D.’s!! 5.339 can only have 2 S.D.’s…it becomes 5.3 ALL DONE!!! This has been…. A Baron Baron Production