Significant Figures Made Easy

Some friends decided to go to the hot new dance club downtown. Once Upon a Time…

Club Significance Significant Members only

They got to the door all excited.

Club Significance

The bouncer was scary looking but they were not worried at all for they had proper identification.

As they showed their identification, the bouncer nodded and let each one pass until…

The bouncer gave a growl and said, “You’re not significant FOOL! The Significant Club had rules!” BAD

Significant Members only

The others were inside having a grand time, not realizing that their friends were now on their way home totally confused as to what just happened.

The next day at school… They all met back up and the story was told. Together they all went to the library to find out what rules the bouncer was talking about.

THE RULES! 1.All non zero digits are significant. 2. When a zero is surrounded by non zero numbers it is significant. If more than one zero is surrounded by nonzero numbers, the zeros surrounded are ALL significant. 3. When a decimal is in a number the first nonzero number and all numbers after it are significant. 4. When a number is written in scientific notation, all the numbers to the left of the multiply sign are significant.

They decided to start working on the rules one at a time, starting with the first rule. All non zero digits are significant. This is why all of us who were not a zero got to go in but the others did not!

They agreed and started to look at rule number two. When a zero is surrounded by non zero numbers it is significant. If more than one zero is surrounded by nonzero numbers, the zeros surrounded are ALL significant. So if we non zero numbers go in so that the zeros are in the middle, they can get in! It is like we are sponsoring them or they are part of our crew! But does it matter how many zeros are in the middle? “ Nope, see it says that even if there is more than one zero surrounded, that all the surrounded zeroes are significant.”

They all agreed and then looked at rule number three. When a decimal is in a number the first nonzero number and all numbers after it are significant. “ I think I get this one. It’s like if you have a line and someone in the line has a credit card and says, ‘I am paying for myself and everyone behind me.’ The credit card is the decimal, and the guy that is using it is the first nonzero number that appears in the lineup.” “I guess this means if we want to have the zeros join us, they cannot be the first one in line…it has to be a nonzero value.”

They all agreed and then looked at the last rule When a number is written in scientific notation, all the numbers to the left of the multiply sign are significant. “ Scientific notation is when there is a multiply sign with ten to some power right?” “Yeah, and you know that bouncer wears a different necklace when his wife is out of town. It means that everyone in front of him gets in free to party.” They all laughed. X

They had the rules down and now were going to see if they could get into the club. And now it’s your turn. You will be given an identification card. Can you arrange yourselves into a number so that all of you can get into the club too?

By the way…whether you got into Club Significance or not…you’re ALL significant to me!

The End! Significant Members only