Final answer:
The number 0.023 has two significant figures while 301 has three significant figures. Therefore, 0.023 has fewer significant digits than 301.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to determine which number has fewer significant digits, we need to count the number of significant figures in each number. Significant figures are the digits in a number that carry meaning and indicate the precision of the measurement.
The number 0.023 has two significant figures since both the digits 2 and 3 are significant.
The number 301 has three significant figures since all the digits, 3, 0, and 1, are significant.
Therefore, the number 0.023 has the fewer significant digits compared to 301.