Question

What is the number of significant figures in$1.050\times {10}^4$?

Answer 1

Hint: significant figures in chemistry are the mathematical values that have certainty and precision while performing mathematical operations in chemistry. Significant figures have certain rules for their determination. The rules consist of counting the numbers before or after the decimals or the number with special cases like powers rose.

Complete answer:
Significant figures are used in mathematical operations in chemistry that can tell us the valuable digits in a particular mathematical equation or value. Significant figures are calculated through some rules, which are:
- All the digits that contain no zero are significant. For example, 12 have 2 significant figures.
- The zeros that are written before non-zero digits are not significant. For example, 0.0098 has 2 significant figures.
- Zeros that are written between the non- zero digits are significant. For example, 8.006 has 4 significant figures.
- Zeros that are written at the right hand side of the decimal are significant, while if the decimal is not present then the zeros are not significant. For example, 900 have 1 significant figure, while 0.900 have 3 significant figures.
- When any scientific notation is written, it is not significant like ${10}^5$ will not be significant.
- When the exact number of anything is written, it has an infinite number of significant figures. For example, 50 eggs have infinite significant figures.
We are given a number$1.050\times {10}^4$, we have to find its significant figures. Since it has zero between and after the decimals, they will be significant, while the scientific notation${10}^4$will not be significant.
Hence,$1.050\times {10}^4$, have 4 significant figures.

Note:
For addition or subtraction in significant figures, the values with decimals cannot have more number of digits after the decimal written, as that in the original number. The same applies in division and multiplication of significant figures. Thus, the significant figures are used in accurate measurements and precision of calculations.