Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: SIGNIFICANT FIGURES |
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES1. (Arith.), the figures which remain to any number, or decimal fraction, after the ciphers at the right or left are canceled. Thus, the significant figures of 25,000, or of .0025, are 25. |
Crosswords: SIGNIFICANT FIGURES |
| English words defined with "SIGNIFICANT FIGURES": accuracy. (references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The significant figures method teaches that when measuring using a non-electronic instrument, the observer should estimate within the nearest tenth of a division marked on the insturment. For example, if a graduated cylinder was marked off at every mililiter, the observer should measure the amount of volume contained in the cylinder to the nearest tenth of a mililiter. In order to express the degree of percision to which a value was measured, decimals are used. When using significant figures rules, it should be assumed that the last significant digit of every value was estimated. Using the previous example, if the observer read the amount of liquid in the cylinder to be exactly 12 mililiters, he would write the value as 12.0, which would indicate that the tenths place was an estimation. If the cylinder was marked off to every tenth of a milimeter, he would write the value as 12.00. Note that exact numbers obtained by counting should not be subject to the rules of significant figures.
Before calculations can be done according to the rules of significant figures, one must know how many significant digits are in each number being used in the calculations. Rules for determining the significance of digits are as follows:
When multiplying and dividing numbers together, the product or quotient is rounded to the number of significant figures of that of the factor with the least. For instance, using significant figures rules:
When adding and subtracting numbers together, the sum or differences is rounded to the place farthest to the right of the decimal point of the number with the least amount of digits after the decimal point. The number of significant figures in each number is irrelevant. For instance, using significant figures rules:
As with all rounding procedures, if the number directly to the right of the digit to be rounded to is less than five, the digit stays the same; if more than five, the digit is rounded up. However, to always round up or down if the digit is equal to exactly five would skew data in one direction or the other. Thus, when using the significant figures system and rounding in such situation, the even-odd rule is used: round in whichever direction would make the last digit of the final product even. For example:
Measuring with Significant Figures
Counting Significant Figures
In order to correctly show which digits are significant, figures such as "2000" should be expressed in scientific notation to the correct number of significant figures. If two digits are significant the number is 2.0x10³, if three are significant then it's 2.00x10³.Multiplying and Dividing using Significant Figures
Adding and Subtracting using Significant Figures
Even-Odd Rule
In this way, the even-odd rule avoids skewing data either upwards or downwards.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Significant figures."
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit |  | Significant figures of our time. 2. Upon the untimely death of his parents he finds work in a hotel kitchen, and has his first introduction to the subtleties of continental cuisine. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "SIGNIFICANT FIGURES"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | omregningskurserne fastsættes med seks betydende cifre (the conversion rates should be defined with six significant figures). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | de omrekeningskoersen moeten in zes significante cijfers worden vastgesteld (the conversion rates should be defined with six significant figures). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | muuntokurssit olisi määriteltävä kuuden merkitsevän numeron tarkkuudella (the conversion rates should be defined with six significant figures). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
French | les taux de conversion sont définis avec six chiffres significatifs (the conversion rates should be defined with six significant figures). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
German | die Umrechnungskurse sollen mit sechs signifikanten Stellen festgelegt werden (the conversion rates should be defined with six significant figures). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | οι τιμές μετατροπής καθορίζονται με έξι χαρακτηριστικά ψηφία [1]. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | i tassi di conversione sono definiti con sei cifre significative (the conversion rates should be defined with six significant figures). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | ignificantsay iguresfay as taxas de conversão são definidas com seis algarismos significativos (the conversion rates should be defined with six significant figures). (various references) cifras significativas. (various references) omräkningskurserna bör fastställas med sex signifikanta siffror (the conversion rates should be defined with six significant figures). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Scrabble® YAWL-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-c-e-f-f-g-g-i-i-i-i-n-n-r-s-s-t-u" | |
-5 letters: canisterising. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)53 49 47 4E 49 46 49 43 41 4E 54 46 49 47 55 52 45 53 |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
|
Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01010011 01001001 01000111 01001110 01001001 01000110 01001001 01000011 01000001 01001110 01010100 00100000 01000110 01001001 01000111 01010101 01010010 01000101 01010011 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)S I G N I F I C A N T   F I G U R E S |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0053 0049 0047 004E 0049 0046 0049 0043 0041 004E 0054 0046 0049 0047 0055 0052 0045 0053 |
Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)5343414843404337354854240434155523953 |
| Language | Coverage | Language Translations |
Danish | ordbog, deskriptordefinition, oversættelse | tanskalainen, danois, dänisch, δανικόσ, δανόσ, danese, dinamarquês, danés, dansk |
Dutch | woordenboek, definitie, translatie | hollandsk, hollantilainen, néerlandais, holländisch, ολλανδικόσ, ολλανδόσ, olandese, holandês, holandés, holländsk |
Finnish | määritelmä, translaatio, taajuusmuutos | suomi, suomalainen, finnois, Finlandaise, finlandais, finnisch, φινλανδικόσ, finlandese, finlandês, finês, finlandés, finés, finsk |
French | dictionnaire, définition, traduction | ranskalainen, français, französisch, γαλλικόσ, γαλλική γλώσσα, γαλλίδα, γάλλοσ, francese, francês, francés, fransk, franska |
German | wörterbuch, Übersetzung | tysker, Duitse, saksalainen, allemand, deutsch, Deutsche, "ερμανός, tedesco, alemão, alemán, tysk |
Greek | λεξικό, ορισμός, μετάφραση | græker, kreikkalainen, grec, grieche, ελληνικόσ, 'Ελληνας, greco, grego, griego, grek |
Italian | dizionario, definizione, traduzione | italiener, italialainen, italien, italienisch, Ιταλός, italiano, italiensk, italienska, italienare |
Portuguese | dicionário, definição, tradução | portugiser, portugalilainen, portugais, portugiesisch, πορτογάλοσ, ορτογάλος, portoghese, português, portugués, portugis |
Spanish | diccionario, definición, traducción | Spaans, espanjalainen, espagnol, spanisch, ισπανικά, ισπανικόσ, ισπανοί, spagnolo, espanhol, español, spanska språk, spansk |
Swedish | ordbok, lexikon, definition, översättning | Zweeds, ruotsalainen, suédois, schwedisch, σουηδικόσ, σουηδικά, svedese, sueco, svensk |
English | Dictionary, Definition, Translation | englantia, englantilainen, anglais, englisch, εγγλέζοσ, αγγλικόσ, inglese, inglês, inglés, engelsk |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Commercial 4. Images: Photo Album | 5. Translations: Modern 6. Anagrams 7. Orthography 8. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
