So we know that significant figures will play a role in the way we analyze data and questions. We also know it's going to have an impact on the answers that we have at the end. Now there are levels of precision that are involved when it comes to significant figures. We're going to say here the more significant figures in a measurement, then the more precise it is. So, for example, a reading of 25.00 mL is more precise than just 25. That's because 25.00 mL has a decimal point. We move from left to right. Our first non-zero number here is 2, and count all the way to the end. This has 4 sig figs. 25, on the other hand, has no decimal point, so we move from right to left, and it only has 2 sig figs. Since 25.00 mL has more significant figures, it's more precise. It gives us more detail.
Now when it comes to recording measurements, significant figures have to be taken into account. So we're going to say when taking a measurement, you must include all of the known numbers plus an additional decimal place. Now we use what I call the eyeball test. It's based on an estimate or best guess from looking. So even when looking at a measuring tape or looking at a beaker, significant figures have to be taken into account. We can't just look at the measurements or the hash marks on these tools and say, that is my value, because there's some level of uncertainty there. So you have to add an additional decimal place to ensure you have the correct number of significant figures.
Now that we've talked about this idea of precision in measurements, click on the next video, and let's put it to practice with an example question.
