Supports integers, decimals, and scientific notation (e.g., 1.23e4)
Non-zero digits
Always significant (1-9)
Zeros between non-zeros
Always significant (e.g., 101 has 3 sig figs)
Leading zeros
Never significant (e.g., 0.005 has 1 sig fig)
Trailing zeros after decimal
Always significant (e.g., 2.50 has 3 sig figs)
Trailing zeros without decimal
Ambiguous (e.g., 100 could be 1, 2, or 3 sig figs)
*Use scientific notation to clarify ambiguous cases
Standard: 123.456, 0.00789
Scientific: 1.23e4, 5.67e-3
Negative: -45.6, -1.2e-5
Significant figures (also called significant digits or sig figs) are the digits in a number that carry meaningful information about its precision. They indicate the reliability of a measurement and are essential in scientific and engineering calculations to properly represent the accuracy of data.
When performing calculations with measured values, the result should not have more significant figures than the least precise measurement used. This ensures that reported values don't imply greater precision than the original data supports.
Count Mode: Enter any number to determine how many significant figures it contains. The calculator analyzes each digit according to standard rules and provides a step-by-step explanation.
Round Mode: Enter a number and specify the desired number of significant figures. The calculator will round your number appropriately while maintaining the correct precision.
Significant figures calculations follow standard rules. Results depend on correct input formatting and selected rounding conventions. For ambiguous cases (like trailing zeros without a decimal point), consider using scientific notation to clearly indicate the intended precision.