Question

How many significant figures are in the measurement 2103.2g?

Answer 1

Hint: The significant numbers are defined to be any number of the significant digits in which 0-9 is wholly inclusive. The trailing zero is considered as the significant figure. Trailing zeros are those which are present on the right side of the decimal point and are also considered as a significant figure.

Complete step by step answer:
There are three main roles in determining the significant figures. The first is that all the non zero numbers are considered to be the significant number. If the number is 34.9 then we have three non zero digits in the number so there would be 3 significant figures in this number. The second rule is that if the zero is present between the two significant figures then it will be considered as the significant figure. If we have the number 502, then we have two non zero digits but the zero given in the number is between two significant fires so it will also be considered as a significant figure. So there will be 3 significant figures in the number. The third rule is that the zero which leads are not considered a significant number. If we have the number 0.0087 then here we would have only two significant figures.
Now the given number in question is 2103.2 here we have four non zero numbers which will be considered a significant figure and the zero in the number is present between the two significant numbers so that zero will also be considered as the significant number. So we will have a total of 5 significant figures in 2103.3.

Note: The trailing zero must have a decimal after that. If the number is 450. then we will have 3 significant figures in the number. But if the trailing zero does not have the decimal after that then it will be considered as a non significant figure. If the number is 450 then we will have only 2 significant figures in the number.