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Calculate the sum of the following numbers to the appropriate number of significant figures.

32.567 + 135.0 + 1.4567

1 Answer

3 votes

Answer:

The answer is 169.0.

Step-by-step explanation:

For addition and subtraction problems with significant figures, the answer should be rounded to the same number of decimal places as the measurement with the least number of decimal places.

Rules for Significant Figures:

  • All non-zero digits are considered significant. For example, 91 has two significant figures (9 and 1), while 123.45 has five significant figures (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5).
  • Zeros appearing between two non-zero digits (trapped zeros) are significant. Example: 101.12 has five significant figures: 1, 0, 1, 1, and 2.
  • Leading zeros (zeros before non-zero numbers) are not significant. For example, 0.00052 has two significant figures: 5 and 2.
  • Trailing zeros (zeros after non-zero numbers) in a number without a decimal are generally not significant. For example, 400 has only one significant figure (4).
  • Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal point are significant. For example, 12.2300 has six significant figures: 1, 2, 2, 3, 0, and 0. The number 0.000122300 still has only six significant figures (the zeros before the 1 are not significant). In addition, 120.00 has five significant figures since it has three trailing zeros.
  • The number 0 has one significant figure. Therefore, any zeros after the decimal point are also significant. Example: 0.00 has three significant figures.
  • Any numbers in scientific notation are considered significant. For example, 4.300 x 10-4 has 4 significant figures.
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