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Introduction In science, the goal is truthful understanding of our world based on careful observations and measurements of natural phenomena. To build our understanding, we struggle to develop conceptual models. These models (theories) must be tested and/or validated to really be worthwhile. Often, observations and/or experimental results cause us to realize the limitations of our models (theories) and so we must work to develop better (or, at least, more complete) ones. To see if our models are valid, we must carefully compare their predictions to what is actually seen in nature. Imprecise or sloppy comparisons of our theoretical models with nature do not improve anyone’s understanding of either and, in fact, often just lead to greater confusion. Consequently, true understanding will ONLY come from extreme care with each and every measurement and theoretical calculation. So, in this spirit, a healthy self-critical approach and skepticism about the accuracy of any result should be developed and nurtured. To this end, we should endeavor to make each and every measured value as accurate and precise as possible. We must work to minimize the error or uncertainty of each and every measurement. To be specific about expressing these qualities of a quantitative measurement, we use the rules for so-called significant figures. These and other related terms are defined as follows: Significant Figures: the number of digits that are known (or specifically given) for a value. This may differ from the total number of digits actually used in writing out the value. A standard set of rules determines the actual number of significant figures (SF) used in an expression of a value (see below). Measurement Accuracy: how close a measured value is to the true value (if it is known). If the true value is not known, then the accuracy of measurement can only be estimated (typically, this must be done with extreme care). Measurement Precision: an indication of the reliability