Worksheet: Significant Figures in Calculations

1. Determine the number of significant figures in each of the following:


a. __________ 75.02mm

b. ___________ 0.0049 g

c. __________ 18.90 mL

d. ___________ 150 cm

e. __________ 12 test tubes

f. ___________ 150. Cm

g. ___________ 0.00456 mg

h. ___________ 107.20 mm

i. ___________ 1720 g

j. ___________ 3.03 x 10-1 kg


2. Re‐write the quantity 827,000,000,000,000 picoseconds to show:

a. 1 sig. fig. ________________________________

b. 2 sig. figs. _________________________________

c. 3 sig. figs. _________________________________

d. 4 sig. figs. ________________________________

e. 5 sig. figs. ________________________________

3. Rewrite the quantity 0.0031904 kg to show:

a. 1 sig. fig. _______________________________

b. 2 sig. figs. _______________________________

c. 3 sig. figs. _______________________________

4. Round each of the following to 3 significant figures:


a. 16.8477 L __________

b. 5.6732 m__________

c. 0.14986 L __________

d. 861.85 kg__________

e. 4.203 x 104 km _________

f. 5.0981 x 10-3g __________

g. 0.00318756 m __________

h. 0.0902501L ___________


5. Determine the uncertainty in each of the following:


a. __________ 75.02mm

b. ___________ 0.0049 g

c. __________ 18.90 mL

d. ___________ 150 cm

e. __________ 12 test tubes

f. ___________ 150. cm

g. ___________ 0.00456 mg

h. ___________ 107.20 mm

i. ___________ 1720 g

j. ___________ 3.03 x 10-1 kg


6. Complete the mathematical operations and round to the proper number of significant figures:

a. 31.06 m – 26.42 m = ____________

b. 5.058 g + 13.1 g = _______________

c. 15.2 L + 273.15 L = _____________

d. 87.54 cm – 83.2 cm = ____________

e. 76 s – 15.62 s = ________________

f. 1100 m + 110.5 m + 10.05 m = _________________

7. Complete the mathematical operations and round to the proper number of significant figures:

a. 176.3 m / 2.8 s = ______________

b. (0.00340 x 57.21)/(2.99 x 1.6) = _________________

c. 3.4 x 10-5/2.66 = ____________________

d. (65,000.0 x 2.311)/2.91 = __________________