Question

Zeros to the left of the first nonzero digit are insignificant (they don't count); they are only placeholders. How many significant figures in 0.000456?

a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 5

Answer 1

The number 0.000456 has three significant figures, which are the non-zero digits 4, 5, and 6.

Step-by-step explanation:

When counting significant figures, zeros to the left of the first nonzero digit are considered insignificant as they serve as place holders to locate the decimal point. For the number 0.000456, the zeros before the 456 are such place holders and are therefore not significant. The significant figures are the nonzero digits, which are 4, 5, and 6.

Therefore, the number of significant figures in 0.000456 is three (b) 3.