Question

How many significant figures are in the number 0.02?

Answer 1

Hint:The answer is in the fact that significant figures take into consideration the non zero digit and the zeros of the one which is present after the non zero digit. Answer the question based on this fact.

Complete step by step solution:
We have studied the basic topic which is named as ‘some basic concepts of chemistry’ and have come across several basic calculations such as the significant figures, rounding off the digits etc.
Let us see what does significant figure mean and how can we calculate it on the above given question.
- Some of the rules to be followed while writing the significant figures is as follows:
- All non – zero digits are significant.
- Zeros preceding the first non – zero digit are not significant. Such zero indicates the position of the decimal point.
- Zeros between two non - zero digits are significant.
- Zeros at the end or right side of a number are significant provided they are on the right side of the decimal point.
Now, based on all these rules the number which is given that is 0.02 has only one significant figure because the preceding zeros are not considered.
Thus, the correct answer is that there is one significant figure in 0.02.

Note:
Note that counting numbers of objects have infinite significant figures like 2 has infinite figures as it can be written as 2.0000000 and the zeros after decimal continues infinitely which means that these types of counting objects can be written in the form of infinite significant figures.