# Math Help - three significant numbers

1. ## three significant numbers

Can someone tell me the three significant numbers for these below:

I have a 100 of these to do, can someone start me of so that i can get an idea of how to do them. Thanks

1) 34.33333
2) 0.031968
3) 0.268632
4) 0.464704
5) 0.731368
6) 0.266664
7) 0.430167
8) 0.469273
9) 0.581395
10) 0.406779

If you need to round your answer, please give at least 3 significant figures after the decimal point and any initial zeros. E.g. 3.000346.

2. tell me if i got these right please:

1) 34.33333 - 34.333
2) 0.031968 - 0.0319
3) 0.268632 - 0.268
4) 0.464704 - 0.464
5) 0.731368 - 0.731
6) 0.266664 - 0.266
7) 0.430167 - 0.430
8) 0.469273 - 0.469
9) 0.581395 - 0.581
10) 0.406779 - 0.406

3. Originally Posted by datboiantonio
Can someone tell me the three significant numbers for these below:

I have a 100 of these to do, can someone start me of so that i can get an idea of how to do them. Thanks

1) 34.33333 34.3
2) 0.031968 0.0320
3) 0.268632 0.269
4) 0.464704 0.465
5) 0.731368 0.731
6) 0.266664 0.267
7) 0.430167 0.430
8) 0.469273 0.469
9) 0.581395 0.581
10) 0.406779 0.407
HI

see quote .

4. The best thing to do is to write the numbers in scientific notation- that's where "significant figures" is most useful.

In scientific notation, 34.33333 is $3.433333 \times 10^1$. Now round off to the second decimal place.

In scientific notation, 0.031968 is $3.1968 \times 10^{-2}$. Now round of to thesecond decimal place.

5. Originally Posted by datboiantonio
Can someone tell me the three significant numbers for these below:

I have a 100 of these to do, can someone start me of so that i can get an idea of how to do them. Thanks

1) 34.33333
2) 0.031968
3) 0.268632
4) 0.464704
5) 0.731368
6) 0.266664
7) 0.430167
8) 0.469273
9) 0.581395
10) 0.406779

Basically, significant figures refer to the first n digits starting from the first non-zero.
The first post gave you 3 significant figures for those ten. Just note the first 3, they will cover most scenario's.