Round each of the following numbers to four significant figures and express the result in standard exponential notation: (a) 102.53070

Key Concepts

Significant Figures

Significant figures are the digits in a number that contribute to its precision. This includes all non-zero digits, any zeros between significant digits, and trailing zeros in the decimal portion. Understanding how to identify and round significant figures is crucial for accurately reporting measurements in scientific contexts.

Rounding Rules

Rounding rules dictate how to adjust numbers to a specified number of significant figures. When rounding, if the digit following the last significant figure is 5 or greater, the last significant figure is increased by one. If it is less than 5, the last significant figure remains unchanged. Mastery of these rules is essential for precise calculations.

Scientific Notation

Scientific notation is a method of expressing numbers as a product of a coefficient and a power of ten, which simplifies the representation of very large or very small numbers. In this format, the coefficient is typically a number between 1 and 10. Understanding how to convert standard numbers into scientific notation is important for clarity and ease of calculation in chemistry.