Hey, when we solve for significant figures, why do we completely get rid of the remaining decimals even though hey have more accurate information?
Ex. 1.23*4.84=5.9532 but we would make it 5.95 based on Sig figs, even though those last two decimals are closer to the answer. Why is this? I know it’s less accurate, though it seems like we’re losing valuable accuracy (even if it’s not perfect, it should be closer)
In: Mathematics
The Sun is a long way away, the average distance from Earth is more or less defined by one astronomical unit, which is ninety-two million nine hundred and fifty-five thousand eight hundred and seven miles.
That’s a long way, imagine if we could drive a car at 100mph. How long would it take us to travel ninety-two million nine hundred and fifty-five thousand eight hundred and seven miles? The distance between the Earth and the Sun varies and sometimes it’s more than ninety-two million nine hundred and fifty-five thousand eight hundred and seven miles.
Notice how the above obscures the key information. To focus on what is *significant*, we use significant figures. If I talk about the distance to the Sun being 93 million miles, sure I’ve thrown away some accuracy, but it allows us to focus on the concept, making it easier for us to absorb and make comparisons.
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