Scientific Notation and Significant Figures

Scientific Notation and
Significant Figures
MR. LAWRENCE ANDREW F FRONDA
Scientific Notation
 ScientificNotation is a standard way of writing very large

and very small numbers so that they’re easier to both compare
and use in computations. It represents a number as the product
of a number greater than 1 and less than 10 (called the
mantissa) and a power (or exponent) of 10. That is
 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 = 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑎 𝑥 10𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡
Sample Problem 1.
 Express the following in scientific notation:

(a) U.S Federal Debt is $ 3, 000,000,000,000 = $ 𝟑. 𝟎 𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟐.
The decimal has to be moved to the left twelve (12) times.
Thus, exponent is positive.
(b) The radius of a hydrogen atom is 0.0000000000529 m. =
𝟓. 𝟐𝟗 𝒙 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟏 m. The decimal has to be moved to the right
eleven (11) times. Thus, exponent is negative.
Sample Problem 2
 Estimate the product of 3, 814, 289 and 45 and express the result
in standard scientific notation.
 Solution:
3, 814, 289 x 45 = 171, 643, 005 ≈ 1.71 x 1𝟎𝟖.
The decimal has to be moved to the left eight (8)
times. Thus, exponent is positive.
Significant Figures
 Significant Figures refer to the number of important single digits (0

through 9 inclusive) in the coefficient of an expression in scientific
notation
 Rules for Significant Figures
1. All non – zero numbers are significant.
 Examples:
 342 tons -3 significant figures
 172.43 mL - 5 significant figures
Significant Figures
2. Zeros – located between non – zero

digits are significant. Examples:
a. 1001 kg4 significant figures
b. 104.56 m 5 significant figures
Significant Figures
3. Zeros at the end are significant only if the number

contains a decimal point; otherwise, they are insignificant.
 Examples:
a. 456.0 m - 4 significant figures

b. 7000 km -1 significant figures
Significant Figures
4. Zeros to the left of the first non – zero digit are

insignificant.
Examples:
a. 0.00054 - 2 significant figures
b. 0.0000981 - 3 significant figures
Significant Figures
5. Numbers in scientific notation have as many

significant figures as their mantissa.
 Examples:
a. 1.0 x 103 - 2 significant figures

b. 4.32 x 103- 3 significant figures
Operations with Significant Figures
► W hen adding or subtracting, round the result to the sm allest num ber of decim al
places of any term in the sum Exam ple:
255 𝑚 +262.256
7.546 𝑚𝑚= ≈ 262 𝑚
► W hen m ultiplying or dividing, round the result to the sam e accuracy as the least
accurate m easurem ent.
Exam ple:
Rectangular Lot: 27 𝑚 𝑏𝑦 20 𝑚
Area: 540 𝑚2 ≈ 500 𝑚2
Sample Problem 1
 A civil engineer measures the distance around a rectangular field. The length of
the long sides of the rectangle is found to be 43.88 m and the length of the short
sides is found to be 22.5 m. What is the total distance around the field? Express
your answer in correct number of significant figures.
 Solution:
 The distance around the field can be calculated using the expression: 𝑃 = 2𝐿 + 2𝑊.
 𝑃 = 2𝐿 + 2 𝑊
 = 2(43.88 𝑚) + 2(22.5 𝑚)
 𝑃 = 132.76 𝑚
 But this must be rounded to 132.8 m because the distance 19.5 m carries information to only one place past the
decimal.
Sample Problem 2
If the total area of the cube is 800 𝑐𝑚2, find its volume to the correct number of
significant figures.
 Solution:To calculate the volume of the cube, determine the side of
the cube using the 𝑇 = 6𝑎2. Thus, 𝑎 = 11.55 𝑐𝑚
800 𝑐𝑚2 6𝑎2 N ow , solve for the volum e usin g the e xpression 𝑉 = 𝑎3
𝑇 = 6𝑎 2
= 6
800 𝑐𝑚2 = 6𝑎2 6 𝑉 = 𝑎3
= (11.55 𝑐𝑚)3
800 𝑐𝑚2 = 𝑎
√ 𝑽 = 𝟏𝟓𝟒𝟎. 𝟖𝟎 𝒄𝒎𝟑
6 B ut this m ust be rounded to 2000 c𝒎𝟑 because the area of the cube is
𝑎 = 11.55 𝑐𝑚
800 𝑐𝑚2carries inform ation to o nly one significant figure.
Accuracy and Precision
►Accuracy refers to how closely individual

measurements agrees with the correct value.
►Precision refers to how closely individual
measurements agrees with one another.
 Random Error and Systematic Error
 Random Error
 These are error that occur randomly and affect measurements in an unpredictable manner (in conditions or
apparatus).
 Probability of the measured value being too high or too low.
 Random errors cannot be eliminated but can be reduced by repeat trials.
Sources of Random Errors

 1. Changes in environment during experiment.
 2. Observer misinterpreting the reading.
 3. Insufficient data (no repeat trials
 (b) Systematic Error

 ► These are errors that affect all the measurements in the same way.
 ► It causes the measured values to be consistently higher or lower than the accepted value.
 ► They cannot be reduced by conducting repeat trials.
Sources of Systematic Errors
 Imperfect instrumentation and calibration.
 Environmental interference
 Observation error
Uncertainty in Measurements
 ► There is uncertainty in every measurement; this uncertainty carries over through the calculations need a
technique to account for this uncertainty
 ► We will use rules for significant figures to approximate the uncertainty in results of calculations.
Operations with Uncertainty
 ► When adding or subtracting quantities with uncertainty, we simply add absolute uncertainty.
 Examples: (28.8 ± 0.2 ) m/s + (12.4 ± 0.1) m/s = (𝟒𝟏. 𝟐 ± 𝟎. 𝟑) 𝒎/𝒔
(41.2 ± 0.3) m - (20.5 ± 0.5 ) m = (𝟐𝟎. 𝟕 ± 𝟎. 𝟖) 𝒎
 ► When multiplying or dividing quantities with uncertainties, we add the relative uncertainties together.
Relative uncertainty gives the uncertainty as a percentage of the original value.
Examples:
a. (26.4 m ± 0.4 m) x (34.6 m ± 0.4 m)
 Solution:
 First, calculate relative uncertainty
(26.4 m ± 0.4 m) = (0.4 / 26.4) x 100% = 1.5%
(34.6 m ± 0.4 m) = (0.4 / 34.6) x 100% = 1.2%
Thus, the value can be quoted as;
(26.4 m ± 1.5%) x (34.6 m ± 1.2%)
 Now, multiply exact measurements with correct number of significant
figures and add relative uncertainty.
(26.4 m ± 0.4 m) x (34.6 m ± 0.4 m) = (913 m ± 2.7%)
Examples:
b.(45.6 m ± 0.6 m) / (24.8 m ± 0.8 m)
 Solution:
First, calculate relative uncertainty
 (45.6 m ± 0.6 m) = (0.6 / 45.6) x 100% = 1.3%
 (24.8 m ± 0.8 m) = (0.8 / 24.8) x 100% = 3.2%
Thus, the value can be quoted as;

(45.6 m ± 1.3%) / (24.8 m ± 3.2%)
Now, divide exact measurements with correct number of significant figures and add relative uncertainty.
(45.6 m ± 1.3%) / (24.8 m ± 3.2%) = (1.84 m ± 4.5%)
 When multiplying a number with an uncertainty by a constant factor, the rule varies depending on the type of uncertainty.

 When taking a power of a value with an uncertainty, multiply the relative uncertainty by the number in the power.

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Scientific Notation and

 ScientificNotation is a standard way of writing very large

 Express the following in scientific notation:

 Significant Figures refer to the number of important single digits (0

2. Zeros – located between non – zero

3. Zeros at the end are significant only if the number

a. 456.0 m - 4 significant figures

4. Zeros to the left of the first non – zero digit are

5. Numbers in scientific notation have as many

a. 1.0 x 103 - 2 significant figures

►Accuracy refers to how closely individual

Sources of Random Errors

 (b) Systematic Error

Thus, the value can be quoted as;

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