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How many significant figures are present in the following measurement?

[tex]5.00 \times 10^{-3}[/tex] moles


Sagot :

To determine the number of significant figures in the measurement [tex]$5.00 \times 10^{-3}$[/tex] moles, we need to analyze the digits in the given number carefully.

1. Identify the digits in the measurement: The given measurement is [tex]$5.00 \times 10^{-3}$[/tex] moles. This can also be written in standard form as 0.00500 moles.

2. Evaluate each digit:
- The digit '5' is a non-zero digit, which is always significant.
- The zeros after the decimal point (the two zeros after the 5) are also significant because they are trailing zeros following a non-zero digit and are to the right of the decimal point.

3. Count the total significant digits:
- '5' is significant.
- The first '0' after the decimal (right after '5') is significant.
- The second '0' after the decimal (immediately following the first '0') is also significant.

So, the measurement [tex]$5.00 \times 10^{-3}$[/tex] moles contains exactly 3 significant figures.

Therefore, there are 3 significant figures in the measurement [tex]$5.00 \times 10^{-3}$[/tex] moles.